A Fae at Hogwarts
by masqueradewitch
Summary: It has been three years since Rin came to the Underground. She is fed up with the nobility, and flees Aboveground. She ends up at Hogwarts, and gets involved with the Order of the Phoenix. As she becomes immersed in their War, will she find love?
1. I Like Feeling Useful

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A/N: Well, here it is, the sequal to Friends. Family, Love. Thank you to everyone who reviewed that story, and encouraged this sequal. This is also my first attempt at a crossover, and therefore I have some notes. First and foremost, this is a crossover between Labyrinth and Harry Potter. Second, I know that timeline is going to be a little skewed, but that is because the actual timeline in the books is so convouluted. So I jsut decided that this starts during Harry's fifth year, and will be quite AU from here on, Potterverse wise. This also takes place three years after FFL. To those who were hoping for Sarah and Jareth's wedding, I apologize. My muse hit me with this idea late last night, and I just ran with it. Also, this will NOT be HBP or DH compatible. While the books are incredibly written, and I greatly enjoyed the stories, I am going in a different direction for this story. And finally, as alwayas, I do not own Labyrinth or the Harry Potter series. I only own Rin, and all her mischief. Now then, on with the story!

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Labyrinth 'Rin' Jones sat on the edge of a great stone window, looking out over a beautiful garden. Sighing with boredom, she produced a crystal and tossed it from hand to hand, lost in thought. She smiled suddenly, her mismatched eyes twinkling with remembrance, as she recalled the painting her best friend Sarah had made just one week before both their lives changed forever. Even now, three years later, Rin had trouble believing that she really was Fae, much less a princess in the High Court. However, it was days like today that she wished her life was once more the normal life of a mortal Aboveground.

"Rin, are you going to answer these invitations?" Rin turned to look at the pinched face of Estra, her court instructor. Rin was polite to a fault to the Elven woman, but she seemed to only be interested in getting the princess married off. Today, Rin had received no less than fifteen letters from unmarried royalty of the Underground, requesting her company at dinners, or balls. Rin had absolutely no desire to waste her time with sniveling lords and lesser kings who were only interested in her titles.

"Send polite dismissals to all of them." she replied, looking out the window once again, her mind drifting to the view of her namesake from her brother's castle. From behind her, Estra let out a breath in a huff, her temper frayed.

"You cannot keep ignoring the populace princess. There are ladies of the court who would give anything to have all these gentlemen paying them court." she snapped. Rin stood suddenly, flinging the crystal in her hand at the wall, where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Then let them have the men! I have no desire to see them when they are only interested in my title!" she shouted. Estra sneered at the princess, obviously pleased that she was throwing a fit.

"You will do as your station demands." the Elven woman said coldly. Rin let out a roar of frustration and produced another crystal, throwing it to her feet. She vanished in a haze of smoke just as High Queen Madrea stepped through the doors.

"Where is my daughter?" she asked. Estra curtsied low before the queen.

"She only just stormed off, Majesty. She threw a fit when I asked her if she would reply to her correspondence." she said sweetly. Madrea regarded the elf before her. Estra had come highly recommended as an instructor in court etiquette, but Rin always seemed to be upset after spending time with the woman.

"My daughter is not in the habit of throwing fits. She is far from the spoiled nobility that some in our court have raised." she said, moving to the window. Estra kept her head bowed so the queen would not see her sneer.

"I'm afraid that living Aboveground has made her quite unreasonable. The mortals have rubbed off on her in a rather unpleasant way." she said. Madrea glared at the woman, and caught sight of the shattered crystal by the wall. If their was one thing Madrea knew about her daughter, it was that she only threw things when she was livid at being insulted.

"Rin is a very grounded woman. She does not enjoy the petty desires of most young Fae today. She will return when she has calmed down. When she does, I suggest you are not here." Madrea said, raising herself to her full regal height. Estra bowed even lower as the queen walked out of the room.

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Luna Lovegood was quietly wandering near the edge of the lake, humming to herself. She had awoken to the sound of whispering in the shadows, and had slipped out of her dormitory, then out of the castle, following the whispers. As she approached the edge of the forest, she saw a woman kneeling by the water, a dark emerald gown flowing around her in a medieval fashion. Her dark red hair spilled over her shoulders in waves, and she clutched her arms around her waist. Luna could feel the frustration, and sadness rolling off her in waves. As she approached, the woman, she noticed that her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.

"Don't be sad." she whispered, and the woman's head shot up. Her features were soft yet angular, obviously of a noble bloodline. But it was her eyes that drew Luna in. One was the blue of the lake in the sun, but the other was the exact shade of Harry Potter's. Tear tracks ran along her lovely face, but did not detract from her beauty. Luna kneeled before her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not exactly sad. Just, weary." the woman said, and Luna could detect the slight Irish lilt in her voice.

"You're very pretty. Like a fairytale princess." Luna said, a dreamy look in her eyes. The woman laughed, a gentle musical sound that washed over the water and the trees, and Luna blinked in surprise as she watched the trees appear to bow to the woman, almost honored the woman had laughed in their presence.

"You are quite perceptive, child. I am, in fact, a Fae princess. My name is Rin." she said, holding out her hand. Luna kneeled down properly next to Rin and shook her hand.

"Luna Lovegood, fourth year Ravenclaw." she replied. Rin's brow creased in confusion, and Luna gestured back towards the castle. Rin's mismatched eyes widened in delight, and she seemed to drink in the magic of the castle. After a moment, she turned to look at Luna once more, and Luna was struck once more by that intense gaze.

"I had feared there was no magic in this world. I am pleased to know that I was mistaken. I have a question, Luna." she said, and Luna sat up straight.

"I would be happy to answer it, Princess, if I can." she replied, and Rin laughed again.

"You don't have to call me that. Just call me Rin. Luna, I can sense that something malicious is happening in this place. Will you tell me what you can?" she asked. Luna looked back at the castle, her eyes glazing over slightly.

"Hogwarts has been around for many centuries, and the Ministry of Magic almost never interferes with the school. But ever since the Dark Lord was revived at the end of term last year, the Ministry has been doing everything possible to deny the truth. The keep making rules that punish the students who know the truth, and they won't teach us the spells we need to defend ourselves against the Dark Lord's army. Poor Harry Potter gets it the worst. The Toad Umbridge doesn't like that he told the truth, and she punishes him at every turn." Luna said. As she spoke, Rin produced a crystal and viewed the things Luna told her. Her heart went out to the students at the school, and she felt a bit of pride at the actions of the young Harry Potter. Focusing, she saw the boy wizard slipping through the halls under some kind of cloak, a thick piece of parchment in his hand. Smiling slyly, Rin pushed her magic at the parchment, watching with satisfaction as Harry's eyes widened at the message that appeared on his map.

**_It's a lovely evening for sneaking out and visiting at the lake with a friend. Won't you join us?_**

Luna giggled as she watched over Rin's shoulder. The redheaded Fae smiled and tossed the crystal into the air. When it came back down, it burst in a shower of magic dust, and a pair of earrings lay in her hand. They were matching crystals hanging from silver thread. Rin held them out to Luna, who smiled and immediately put them on. The crystals shimmered in the moonlight, and Luna's eyes widened as she gazed around them. Rin smiled. The crystals had given Luna the ability to see her brother's subjects.

"The creatures you see are the mischief goblins. They are my brother's subjects, and only those who have been to the Underground, or who are blessed by the Fae may see them. They will not harm you, in fact, they will protect you. And I can guarantee that this Umbridge person will have quite a bit of trouble for the rest of the year." Rin said. Luna smiled, and Rin blinked, a bemused expression on her face as she took notice of the girl's slightly pointed teeth. At that moment, another figure appeared by the lake. Rin took in the appearance of the fifteen year old boy before her. Unruly black hair, deep emerald eyes that reminded her of her left eye, and round glasses, as well as black robes, which must have been the school uniform. Rin noted that he held a wand on one hand, and the thick parchment in the other. She smiled at him.

"You must be Harry Potter. It's lovely to meet you." she said. Harry was looking between her and Luna, who was still enraptured by the sight of the goblins.

"Princess Labyrinth Athena Jones?" he asked hesitantly. Rin blinked in surprise, and then noticed that the parchment he held was a map, with little moving dots that were labeled with names.

"Call me Rin, please. Will you join us? Luna was telling me about your world, and we were plotting against a toad called Umbridge." she said. At her words, Harry relaxed and joined them by the lakeside. Rin noticed that he was rubbing at a bandage on his right hand. Concerned, she reached out and took his hand, unwinding the bandage.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Rin glanced up at him.

"Helping you of course. What happened?" she asked. Harry bowed his head, and his left hand curled into a fist.

"Professor Umbridge gave me detention for refusing to take back the truth. She made me write the line 'I must not tell lies' with an enchanted quill that carved the words into my hand." he replied. Rin gasped as she looked at the raw words carved into the back of his hand. Red hot anger flowed through her as she took in the damage. In a second, she produced a crystal and pressed it to the back of Harry's hand. A soft glow filled the crystal as the wound was healed. Harry was staring in shock. Rin smirked a little.

"Gotta love Fae magic." she said casually. Harry gazed up at her in amazement. Luna looked over at him, grinning widely.

"Rin is a Fae princess, the sister of the Goblin King." she said, bowing to the princess. Harry looked back at Rin.

"The goblins have a king? I thought they were bankers." he said. Rin laughed again, the musical sound lifting Harry's spirit.

"The goblins that run your bank are just a part of my brother's kingdom. For the most part, they are autonomous, as my dear brother has his hands full dealing with the wished away children. The Aboveground goblins are quite a bit more intelligent than the goblins that reside in Jareth's kingdom." she explained. Harry thought about that.

"In a strange way, it makes sense. Thought now I feel worse for them. The Ministry doesn't afford them the same rights as the more human races. My friend Hermione gets livid over it." Harry said. Suddenly, Rin sensed the shift in magic around them and sighed.

"Did Madre and Da send you after me, Brother?" she said aloud. A barn owl swooped down and transformed into the familiar shape of her brother. Jareth had their father's wild pale blond hair and facial features. His eyes were mismatched, similar to Rin's, one blue and one brown. This evening, he wore a black poet's shirt, black leggings with knee high boots, and gloves. The vest he wore was covered in silver embroidery that glowed in the moonlight, and his shirt was opened enough to reveal the pendant that was his symbol of office. Luna was staring at him in her normal dreamy fashion, while Harry sat with his mouth open, amazement in his eyes.

"Dear Sister, they have done no such thing. Although I still do not understand why you don't simply bog that horrid instructor of yours. She has no sense of propriety." Jareth said, sounding bored. He produced several crystals and began to juggle them. Luna giggled as she watched the goblins swarm from the shadows to greet their king. Rin pressed one hand over Harry's eyes for a moment, and when she lifted her fingers, he could see the small creatures surrounding their king, whose expression had warmed at the appearance of his subjects. Rin leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear.

"I forgot that he can always hear his name. That's what brought him here." she said softly. Jareth gracefully sat down next to Rin, pulling a goblin into his lap.

"So what made you come to a mortal magic school to escape that horrid woman?" he asked. Rin sighed and gazed out over the lake.

"I'm not sure. When I left, I just wanted to go somewhere where I wasn't expected to act like a vapid royal brat. I like feeling useful." she replied. Jareth nodded, absently scratching the goblin's head. The goblin in his lap immediately took on an expression of utter contentment. Ever since their king had married the Lady, he had softened considerably, becoming more like the kind king that had first taken up the Goblin throne.

"Then you must be needed here. This world is on the edge of war, but the High Court is forbidden from interfering." he explained. Rin's shoulders slumped, and Jareth chuckled.

"If the High Court can't help us fight Voldermort, then how can Rin help?" Harry asked. Luna smiled as she stood up.

"Rin isn't the High Court. Come on Harry. Professor Dumbledore is on his way." she said, looking down at the map. Harry leapt up and grabbed his shimmering cloak.

"I'll walk you back to your dorm so you don't get caught Luna." Harry offered. Rin produced another crystal and tossed it to the boy. As he reached up to catch it, it transformed into a gold ring with jade inlay. The band fit perfectly around his thumb.

"For your protection. If you need me, just call for me." Rin said. Harry smiled at her and wrapped his cloak around himself and Luna, and they vanished from sight. Jareth turned into his owl form and flew up into the trees to watch the coming interaction. Rin stood regally as an older wizard approached. His long silvery beard blended well with his grey robes. He had a friendly enough face, with a crooked nose. Upon his nose sat a pair of half moon glasses. As he approached her, he took in her appearance, then stopped and bowed before her.

"I am honored by your presence at my school, your Majesty. Might I enquire as to why a Fae Princess has graced the grounds?" he asked politely. Rin smiled and curtsied to him.

"I merely came here for some peace from my court instructor. The woman is insufferable, and treats me like a vapid imbecile. If I have disturbed your school, I apologize." she said. The kindly old wizard held up a hand.

"You are not disturbing anything. However, I would like to invite you into the castle, if only to avoid our High Inquisitor." the tone in which he said the title said he truly disliked the person and position. Rin nodded and allowed the wizard to lead her into the castle, and up to his office, past a statue of a gargoyle. In his office, Rin gazed over the many odds and ends laying on the shelves, as well as the sleeping portraits. Finally, her gaze was drawn to Fawkes, who bowed his head once he met her eyes. To Dumbledore's bemused surprise, Rin dipped into a full court curtsey before the bird, murmuring something he did not catch, but which the bird seemed to approve of. The pair sat before the fireplace, and Dumbledore waved his wand, conjuring a tea tray and serving the princess.

"I certainly appreciate your hospitality, Headmaster. Your school is a delight to see." she said. Dumbledore smiled at the young princess, noting the way in which she relaxed, slumping comfortably into the chair, which spoke of a normal Muggle upbringing.

"I was under the impression that the High Court forbid interaction between our worlds." he said. Rin smiled.

"My brother and I are the exceptions. I was raised here in the Aboveground, and my brother's duties require him to come here often, to take away the unwanted children." she replied. Dumbledore nodded his understanding, and Rin set her teacup down.

"Professor, if I may be so forward, I would like to offer you my assistance in removing a certain pest from your school." she said. Dumbledore sighed and set his own teacup down.

"While I appreciate the offer deeply, your majesty, I must decline. I would not want the tentative peace between our worlds to be broken by our actions. I am sure we will be able to deal with Dolores Umbridge, and the Ministry's interference with my school." he assured her. Rin sighed and rand a hand through her hair.

"Do you know what that woman did to one of your students, simply because he would not retract the truth? She used a cursed quill to carve his words into his hand." she said, producing a crystal to show Dumbledore the angry wounds she had healed from Harry's hand. She watched as his hands tightened into fists, then he slumped lower into his own chair, looking his age for the first time in many years.

"I fear I have failed Harry in so many ways over the years." he whispered. Rin sat up in her chair.

"Then perhaps now is the time to make things right. I can sense something in the boy, but it has been suppressed, buried by cruelties he has endured. I would like to help him, and your other students. Will you accept the help of this Fae?" she asked. Dumbledore looked over at her, his eyes twinkling with an idea.

"How are you at teaching? My Divination teacher is about to be sacked, and I will have need of a replacement, or else the Ministry will try to plant their own in my school." he said. Rin smiled, the grin that matched her brother's so well.

"It will take a bit of work, but I am willing to do it." she replied.

"Excellent. I would like to assign a guard to you, for your protection, of course." he said. Rin's mismatched eyes glittered with amusement.

"To protect me? Or to protect the toad from me?" she asked demurely. Dumbledore laughed softly.

"Perhaps a bit of both. Do you like dogs?"

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Rin and Dumbledore appeared in the house at Grimmauld Place an hour later by way of Rin's own magic. As soon as they appeared in the front hall, a woman's voice began screaming at them.

"TRAITORS! FILTHY MONGRELS! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Rin's head snapped around to face the huge portrait of the Black matriarch. A wizard with bright red hair appeared in the door from the kitchen.

"Welcome back Albus. Who is this?" he asked. Rin had put a simple glamour on herself to hide her Fae bloodline, but her clothes were the same.

"Let's make our introductions in the kitchen. Just ignore the painting, my dear. Mrs. Black is not very pleased with our little group." Dumbledore explained. Rin glanced at the portrait for a second, before following the two wizards into the kitchen. Rin's eyes took in the people crowded around the table. Dumbledore turned and bowed slightly.

"All the people in this room are trustworthy. You can tell them anything, and they will guard your secrets." he said. Rin nodded, and dropped her glamour.

"My name is Labyrinth Athena Jones. I am the daughter of High King Arneth, and High Queen Madrea of the Fae. I am here to help you in your fight against Voldermort." she said. The people at the table were staring at her in amazement, all but one. In the far corner sat a man with long black hair and a goatee. He appeared impressed by her appearance, but wary.

"So the High Court has agreed to align with us? Why not go to the Ministry?" he asked. A young witch with violet hair smacked him in the arm.

"Sirius!" she scolded. Sirius rolled his eyes and tugged on her hair.

"It's a valid question, cousin." he shot back, and Rin smirked a little.

"He is right. The simple answer is no, the High Court is not taking a side in your war. It is not allowed." she replied, moving to take the only empty seat, next to Sirius.

"Then why are you here?" this from the wizard with one strange eye that roamed all over the room, never settling down. Rin gave him her best arrogant smirk.

"I am not the High Court. I offered my help, and only my help. Although my brother will likely send his subjects to join with you as well." she replied easily. The violet haired girl leaned forward, and her hair turned a bright pink.

"Sneaky! I think I'm gonna like you. I'm Tonks." she said, offering her hand. Rin took it with a genuine smile.

"Call me Rin." she replied.

"So how are you going to help us?" the red haired wizard she had first seen asked.

"Rin will be taking the place of one of my teachers. Umbridge is about to sack Sybill, and Rin has graciously agreed to be the new Divination Professor. She assures me she knows enough to fake her way through." Dumbledore said.

"My main duty at the school will be to help Harry, to protect him from that horrid woman. Professor Dumbledore says that I will need a guard, and has recommended a member of your Order." Rin said. The men and women at the table looked at each other in curiosity.

"We are all well known to the Ministry, Albus. We can hardly protect her at the school with Umbridge there." a man with several scars on his face said. Rin caught the scent of the wolf on him.

"They know our faces, true. But they are not aware of Padfoot's appearance." Dumbledore replied. Sirius sat up straight at the Headmaster's words.

"That woman would recognize an animagus the second I walked onto the grounds." he protested weakly, yet a spark of hope lit his dark eyes. Rin smiled slyly at him.

"Not once I work my own magic. The woman is a fool, and we shall slip right under her nose." Rin replied. Sirius was quiet for a moment, head bowed in thought. When he lifted his head, a broad grin was on his face.

"When do we leave?" he asked.

"You'll arrive first thing in the morning. Remember, Princess, you must keep up the appearance of mortal witch, so no using a crystal to appear in the middle of the Great Hall." Dumbledore said. Rin rolled her eyes and nodded her head.

"We'll see you in the morning, Professor." she said. Dumbledore nodded, before he Apparated away. Introductions were made, and then Sirius and Rin left the room to prepare for their trip. Sirius led her to an empty room, and she sat down on the bed, producing a crystal and tossing it lightly between her hands.

"How do you plan on getting past the old toad? You are quite memorable, Princess." he said. She laughed, a musical sound that trickled down his spine like a warm caress, and he had to repress a shiver.

"A simple glamour will hide my Fae features. Another simple dampening spell will make you appear to be anything but a large dog." she replied. Sirius nodded.

"I guess I can trust that. At least this way I will be doing something for the Order." he said quietly. Rin took the moment to look over the well dressed man before her. He was quite handsome by mortal standards, and compared to some of the nobility that had been recently vying for her attentions, she found she preferred his company.

"You should get some sleep. We will travel to the village near the castle in the morning, and Dumbledore has arranged a carriage from there." Rin said, standing up, crystal in hand.

"Where are you going?" he asked, surprised at the ripple of displeasure that flowed through him at the thought of her not being there. She smiled warmly at him.

"I'm afraid I left home in a bit of a snit this evening. I need to inform my parents that I am safe before they send the army out looking for me. Or worse, my brother." she said, an affectionate smile on her face as she thought of her brother.

"And who is your brother? You implied that he might also ally with us." he asked. Rin smiled widely, and Sirius thought how much lovelier she was when she smiled like that.

"My brother is the Goblin King, who comes to your world to take away the unwanted children. Part of his kingdom lives here." she replied, tossing the crystal at her feet and vanishing in a haze of sweet smelling smoke.

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A/N: So what do you think? With any luck, I will have another chapter up this week, unless life gets in the way. Please let me know what you think. Also, I would like to take a moment to thank those on this sight that have written L/HP crossovers before me. They have inspired me to write this myself.


	2. Professor Jones meets the Toad

A/N: Wow, I got this done faster than I thought! My muse kept me up all night to finish this, and I still only just got finished. Once again, this is AU in the Wizard world, and some things are out of order compared to OOTP. Please forgive me, but hey, Jareth and Sarah are both in this chapter!

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The next morning in the Great Hall, several students stood around watching as Dumbledore faced off against Dolores Umbridge concerning the now former Divination Professor. Once he had reassured that Professor Trelawney wasn't going anywhere, he faced the short squat DADA professor.

"Fortunately, I have already made arrangements for a new Divination professor. She should be arriving any moment now." he said. Professor Umbridge smiled in her sickeningly sweet manner.

"But Professor, the law clearly states-" she started, but the headmaster cut her off coldly.

"The law states the Ministry may appoint a teacher only if the Headmaster is unable to find a candidate, and I have." he replied. At that moment, the huge doors opened and a figure wrapped in a black hooded cloak walked in regally, a large black dog at her side. As the figure approached, Harry caught a flash of familiar mismatched eyes and grinned.

"Professor Dumbledore, it's been far too long." she said, her accent much thicker than before as she pulled the hood from her head. Rin's hair was bound in a braid that fell down her back, woven with green and white ribbons. Around her neck was a crystal pendant, and silver studs rested in her ears. She wore plain black robes, and black gloves. Idly she scratched the dog behind his ear, and the dog sat next to her, looking over the students, giving a doggy grin to Harry and his friends. Dumbledore came forward and grasped Rin's hand as if they were old friends.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Professor Jones. May I show you to your rooms and your classroom?" he offered. Rin smiled demurely at the headmaster, accepting his arm in the manner of a favored uncle.

"I would be delighted, Headmaster. Come along, Grim. We can meet the students later." she said to the dog, who obediently stood and made to follow his mistress, when they heard a slight 'hem-hem' from Professor Umbridge. Turning slowly, Rin regarded the woman, and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Harry and Luna had been quite accurate in calling her a toad, for she did quite resemble one.

"Dolores Umbridge, High Inquisitor for the Ministry of Magic. I speak for the Minister in this school." she said, obviously trying to intimidate this new teacher. Rin gazed down at the woman, her regal bearing obvious even behind the glamour that hid her pointed ears, sharp teeth, arched eyebrows, and ethereal glow.

"Athena Jones, new Divination Professor. I wonder why the Minister would need you to speak for him. Surely he still has his tongue." she replied, sounding bored. Harry frowned a little as he watched the others focus on the Toad. To Harry, Rin didn't look any different than the night before. What was more, the dog next to her looked exactly like Sirius in animal form. Next to him, Ron snickered at the new teacher's retort. Umbridge bristled a little, but quickly relaxed.

"As a new teacher, you will of course be unaccustomed to the rules of this school. I would be happy to explain them to you, and arrange a time to evaluate you class." she said, confident in her authority. Rin arched an eyebrow, and glanced up at the wall nearby, practically covered in plaques concerning the new rules.

"I am more than capable of reading, Professor. If you will excuse me, I have had a long journey, and would like to rest before my first class. Come Grim." she said coolly, turning and following Professor Dumbledore out of the Hall. The rest of the students quickly hurried off to their own classes. Harry and Ron following Hermione to her class before they went to their own.

"Did you see the way she looked at Umbridge? Like the Toad was something gross she peeled off her shoe! Brilliant!" Ron said, grinning like a madman.

"Hopefully, she won't get into trouble for that. It almost looked like she was trying not to laugh at Umbridge when she first looked at her." Hermione said. The bushy haired witch had quickly lost any respect she might have had for the Professor when she had basically called Harry a lying nut. Harry grinned a little at his friends, twisting the ring on his thumb.

"I think Umbridge won't know what hit her when she tries to intimidate Professor Jones." he replied, moving down the hallway when he caught sight of Luna, her crystal earrings glimmering in the light. Luna turned her dreamy eyes to meet Harry and smiled in that lost little way she had.

"Hello Harry. Are you heading for Divination?" she asked. Harry grinned widely.

"Did you get a look at our new Professor?" he asked as he fell into step with the fair haired Ravenclaw. Luna shook her head, the light glinting off her earrings in rainbows as she did.

"Is Professor Trelawney sick?" she asked dimly.

"Trelawney was sacked. But we know our new teacher. It's Rin." Harry replied. Luna smiled widely, her fingers moving to touch her earrings.

"She plans to cause a lot of trouble." Luna said, just before Ron came hurrying up to the pair.

"Divination's been moved to the East Tower. Professor Jones let Trelawney keep her rooms." he gasped, before the three headed off to their class.

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Rin quickly set the students up with astrology charts and asked them to map out the day of their birth. She had changed into a set of deep sapphire robes and moved around the classroom easily. Her dog had moved over to sit by Harry's desk, and rested his head on the boy's feet. Rin had smiled warmly at the dog and moved on through the room, helping the students when they had a question. Finally, the class ended, and the students began packing up their charts.

"I would like you all to attempt to create as accurate a chart as you can and work out a horoscope stretching one month from now. If you need to write home to your parents and ask the time of your birth, please do so. Your charts are due in one week. Tomorrow we will discuss the use of prophecy in myths. Mr. Potter, would you mind staying behind a moment?" she asked, turning her mismatched eyes to him. Harry looked up and nodded calmly.

"I'll see you Herbology." Ron whispered. Harry nodded and waited while the other students filed out. Once they were all gone, Rin flicked her hand at the door and sighed, shrugging her shoulders as if shaking off a cloak.

"It's safe Sirius. Merlin himself couldn't walk through that door, much less the Toad." she said. Harry looked over at the dog as it turned into his godfather. He grinned and threw himself into the older man's arms.

"What are you doing here? How did you get past the Toad?" Harry asked. Sirius laughed at gestured to Rin.

"The Princess has some powerful magic. With her on our side the Death Eaters will be running scared." he said. Rin shook a finger at him.

"Sirius, I have asked you not to call me that. Here I am merely Professor Jones. Now Harry, the reason I am here is quite simple. I can sense something in you that has been suppressed, whether by magic or merely the cruelties you have endured growing up. I am here to help protect you from those that would wish you harm. That includes the Toad. Any time she gives you detention, you come and see me and I'll fix your hand, okay?" she said. Harry nodded happily.

"Thanks Rin. For everything. Now if we can just figure out a way to practice for the O.W.L.'s like Defense against the Dark Arts. The Toad won't let us use our wands until then." Harry said. Rin smiled gently, and straightened.

"You had better hurry on to your next class. My students are on their way." she said. Harry nodded and with a final hug from his godfather, he headed off to Herbology, and Sirius turned back into a dog. Rin focused and pulled her glamour back on, releasing the spell on her door to allow her students in.

The rest of the day was fairly easy, and the students seemed truly curious about her different teaching style. At the end of the day, Rin went into her private rooms, casting a crystal at the door, and shook off her glamour. Sirius returned to his human form as well and moved to the window to gaze out over the view. Sighing, Rin settled herself comfortably into an armchair, and watched the handsome man before her. Sirius sighed and ran a hand over his face and through his hair, making it stick out from his head a little. Rin couldn't hold back a laugh at the similarity to her brother's hair.

"What's so funny?" he asked. Rin cupped her face in one palm, resting her elbow on the chair as she regarded the man before her.

"With your hair sticking out like that, you almost look like a dark haired version of my brother." she giggled. Sirius merely lifted an eyebrow, which sent her into further fits of giggles.

"I remind you of the terrible Goblin King?" he teased. She stood and faced him, one slender finger pressed to her lips in thought. After a moment, she shook her head.

"I don't think you could ever be arrogant enough." she replied, smiling softly. Sirius felt suddenly warm from that smile.

"Somehow, I think that's a good thing." he said, and she nodded, producing a crystal.

"It is. Though the way I understand it, he was worse before he married Sarah. Now he's practically a teddy bear. True, he can still be cold and cruel when it's necessary, but he is much sweeter now." she said, tossing the crystal at the table, where it turned into a large tray with two covered plates sitting on it. She moved to sit down, and Sirius grabbed her wrist gently, his fingers brushing where her robes had pulled up from the edge of her gloves, and she gasped softly.

"Rin, if having me here like this is uncomfortable, I can stay in my animal form the entire time we are here. I'm actually quite used to being a dog." he said. Rin's mismatched eyes met his dark ones, and Sirius was surprised at the slightly dazed look in them. If he didn't know any better, he would say she had just been kissed.

"Sirius, I really enjoy your company, but would you please let go before this becomes more uncomfortable?" she whispered breathily. Brow furrowed in confusion, he did as she asked, and her eyes quickly cleared. A gentle blush rose on her cheeks, as she looked away from his face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. She nodded as she sat down at the table, removing the covers on their food.

"I'm sorry, I suppose I should have explained. Sirius, why do you think I always wear gloves, That my clothes always cover a large amount of skin?" she asked. Sirius joined her, shrugging his shoulders.

"To be honest, I hadn't given it a lot of thought." he admitted. The gentle blush on her cheeks deepened, and Sirius found it quite becoming on her.

"Fae are… extremely sensitive to touch. For the most part, we wear gloves to keep a magic discharge from occurring. At the same time, an accidental brush of the skin can be… well, sensuous." she said, and Sirius' eyebrows shot up at the admission.

"I see. I am sorry if I have made you feel embarrassed. I will try to be more careful from now on." he assured her. She smiled a little, before slowly slipping her gloves off her hands.

"Thank you Sirius. Among the Fae, to remove your gloves in another's presence is a sign of great trust. In the same vein, to pull the gloves from another's hands without their consent is considered a horrendous violation." she said, laying her gloves to the side of her plate. Sirius smiled warmly and almost reached out to take her hand, but stopped himself.

"I am honored by your show of trust, Princess." he said. She did not say anything about his use of her title, but turned to her food. As they ate in companionable silence, Sirius realized he wanted to touch her again, he wanted to see that look in her eyes again and know her was the reason it was there. Swiftly, he forced such thoughts into a far, dark part of his mind. It would do him no good to become attracted to her. She was royalty, and he was a mere mongrel, hated by his own blood, not that it ever mattered to him. Sighing softly, he resigned himself to spending most of his time as a dog, where he could offer her some little affection.

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Over the course of the next several weeks, Rin and Sirius kept a close watch over Harry and his friends as they created Dumbledore's Army, or D.A. for short. Rin used her crystals to create a special salve for the students who had to endure Umbridge's detentions. Sadly, as hard as she tried, Rin was unable to keep Harry completely safe from the visions he had from the Dark Lord. Dumbledore arranged Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape to help shield Harry's mind, but the poor boy was having difficulty with the lessons, in no small part due to the animosity between him and the Potions Master. One night, Rin slipped through the shadows to watch over their lesson, using a crystal to see what Harry had stumbled upon in Snape's memories in the Pensive. After Snape had angrily thrown the boy out, she couldn't stand it any longer.

"He's not James, Severus." she said from the shadows, making him jump, wand raised in defense.

"Who's there?" he demanded. Rin sighed and moved from the shadows, her glamour firmly in place.

"I can certainly understand being angry about the bullying you endured when you were younger, but taking it out on his son will not do either of you any good." she said. Snape's face was turning red with anger at her words, but Rin also sensed his embarrassment at her knowing his painful memories.

"The boy needs to stop behaving like an omnipotent being. Coddling will do him no good." he snapped. Rin huffed, and drew out a crystal on instinct, tossing it between her hands.

"I have seen him as he moves around this campus. He does not act as arrogant as you claim. Trust me, my brother wrote the book." she said. Snape's eyes were locked on the crystal, for a moment seeing a flash of something in it's depths. Then he sneered at her.

"Are you going to claim you can see into his inner heart with your pathetic crystal ball? I honestly don't know why Dumbledore ever hired you." he said. Eyes flashing in anger, she turned on him, accidentally letting her glamour slip.

"I am here to stop Voldermort! I am here to protect that boy, the same as you! Except you are too lost in your own anger to pay attention to your task!" she hissed. Snape was staring at her in shock. Her hair pulled back to reveal her pointed ears, her sharp teeth, and the unearthly glow of her skin. After a moment, she realized that her glamour had slipped, and stepped back, pulling it carefully into place.

"I thought the Fae had all vanished from this world." he said quietly. Rin had moved toward the shadows, and turned her head slightly.

"We did. We just visit from time to time." she whispered, before dropping the crystal in her hands and vanishing in a cloud of sweet smelling smoke. Snape stood there quietly for a moment, and headed off to find the Headmaster.

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Rin stood at the top of one of the towers, looking out over the vast panorama of the grounds. Sighing, she touched her necklace.

"Sarah, I need you." she whispered. In a gentle fluttering of wings, a small snowy owl appeared, transforming into the lovely Goblin Queen. Sarah's natural beauty had only been enhanced by her life in the Underground, and under the full moon, the pair glowed as brightly as a pair of fallen stars.

"Are you okay, Rin sweetheart?" she asked. Rin shrugged, pulling herself up onto the edge of the turret.

"Things are getting difficult here. Harry keeps getting these visions and nobody seems to be able to help him. And let's just say things can get a little tense at night." she replied. Sarah leaned forward and tapped Rin's knee.

"You know you can tell me anything." she said. Rin nodded, and shifted a little.

"The first day here, Sirius grabbed my wrist where my robes had ridden up. I hadn't told him about how sensitive my skin is. Ever since then, he'll occasionally brush me. Most times it's when he's a dog, but just the other night, he kissed my hand to say goodnight, and ran his fingers along the inside of my wrist! My knees just about buckled then and there." she said, blushing as red as her hair. Sarah laughed out loud at her sister in law.

"Rin you have got it bad!" she crowed, leaning forwards she clutched her sides in mirth. Rin straightened up in irritation.

"I do not! I know for a fact that you do the same thing to Jareth on purpose when you want to leave a ball early!" she snapped. Sarah opened her mouth to reply when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a firm chest.

"Whatever are you two talking about?" Jareth asked, pressing a kiss to his wife's neck. Sarah leaned back with a sigh at her husband's touch.

"Just girl talk, my love. However, I do have a something to tell the both of you." she said, smiling widely. Rin sat forward and Jareth moved around to face his wife. She took his hands and pressed them to her stomach. His eyes widened in surprise, and Rin let out a shriek of delight.

"I'm going to be an auntie!" she cried, tossing a crystal into the air. It turned into a warm shawl which she draped over the Goblin Queen.

"Rin, it's not that cold up here." she protested. Rin shook her head.

"You just take it. Jareth, I suspect that you will need to send word to Madre and Da about the impending arrival. I should get some sleep anyways. I have an early class tomorrow." she said. Sarah pulled the redhead into a strong embrace.

"Do what makes you happy, Rin. That's all any of us want for you." she whispered, before stepping back to let Jareth hug his sister.

"My goblins are at your service sister. If you need me, they will come fetch me." he said, and Rin tightened her hold on him.

"Take care of her brother. And tell Madre and Da I will come home for a visit soon." she whispered, then stepped back to watch the Goblin King and Queen transform and fly off into the night. Spinning on her heel, Rin waltzed back to her rooms, humming along the way.

Sirius looked up as Rin waltzed into the room, absently pulling her braid loose and humming to herself. He had never seen her with her hair down and was amazed at the way the firelight reflected off the gold strands woven amongst the red. He did not say a word, just watched as she danced about the room, singing softly to herself. With the ribbons finally free, she sighed in relief before she continued with her dance. After a moment, Sirius stood and crossed the room, taking her hands in his and leading her into a waltz. She gasped at his touch, but didn't pull away. Instead, she smiled serenely at him, still humming softly.

"What is it that has you dancing this night?" he asked, moving her around the room.

"The Goblin Queen is with child. My brother is overjoyed, as am I." she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. Sirius smiled at her happiness, remembering with fondness the early days when Harry was a babe. Without thinking, his long fingers slipped down to caress her wrist below the edge of her gloves. It had happened accidentally the night before last, and he had seen the way her mismatched eyes had darkened at his touch. Now, as he looked into her mismatched eyes, he felt a strong desire to kiss her. They stood there for a moment, unmoving, and the very shadows seemed to hold their breath. Finally, Sirius drew her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

"I will bid you goodnight, Princess." he whispered, slowly moving away. Rin watched him go, not daring to breathe until he had left the room. When the room was empty, she let out a shaky breath and sank into her chair. She closed her eyes and felt the ghost of his caress on her skin.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me, Sirius?" she whispered. In the other room, Sirius had heard her, in thanks to his enhanced senses. He reached up and pressed his fingers to the door.

"All too well." he breathed, before turning to bed.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. I hope this isn't moving too fast for anybody, I'm just going as my muse commands. Please review and let me know what you think.


	3. Yule and Mistletoe

A/N: Nope, sill don't own Harry Potter orr the Labyrinth.

* * *

Just a few days before the Christmas break, Rin and Sirius were relaxing in her private sitting room, when Sirius looked up at the window.

"That's unusual. Don't owls deliver letters at breakfast?" he asked. Rin looked up and her face paled. She leapt to her feet and opened the window, allowing the barn owl to sail in and transform into the Goblin King. Jareth looked around the room and his eyes locked onto Sirius.

"Sister, I must speak to you. Privately." he said, glaring pointedly at the wizard. Sirius simply crossed his arms, calmly meeting the Fae's glare.

"Sorry, your majesty, but after twelve years in Azkaban, you'll have to do better than that." he said. Rin shot him an amused grin before turning back to her brother.

"Jareth, Sirius is my personal guard. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of him." she said. Jareth sighed and slumped down into a chair.

"Mother and Father must close the portals to the Aboveground." he said. Rin gasped and kneeled next to her brother. The portals to the Aboveground were only closed in times of dire need, and cut the Underground off from the mortal world. When this happened, the magical creatures went into a kind of hibernation, until the dreams of mortals were allowed to filter through. Consequently, any fae trapped in the Aboveground would find themselves without their magic. Rin locked eyes with her brother.

"Jareth, I cannot leave. I gave my solemn oath to protect the boy, and aid the Order." she said quietly. Jareth pulled his sister into his arms, stroking her hair in a soothing manner.

"We know, Labyrinth. In this, you have an advantage. You grew up in the mortal world, so we can change your magic." he said, producing a crystal. He tossed it lightly into the air and it burst above her head, showering her in glitter. Sirius tensed as he felt the magic around her change.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded. Jareth looked at the wizard with one arched eyebrow.

"I have forced her magic to conform to your own. Her powers are now very similar to yours. Rin, this will keep you from being undefended in this world, but it also means you must conform to the laws of mortal magic. I am also sorry to say that you cannot come home until the issue is resolved. Henceforth, you are no longer a member of the Underground, until such time as we are able to reopen the portal. Tell the leader of this order you serve that my goblins here are at your disposal." he said. Rin sighed, feeling very tired from the loss of her normal magic.

"I am sorry brother, but I feel so tired." she whispered. He smiled softly at her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep." he whispered, magic flowing from his fingers to her, and she sagged against him in a deep slumber. Again, Sirius jerked forward slightly, his desire to protect Rin screaming at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worry lacing his tone. Jareth glanced up at the animagus, before transporting his sister to her bed.

"The loss of her true magic has drained her energy. Wizard, the portal is being closed because a war is brewing in our world. My parents should have the problem resolved within the year, but we fear the reason for the unrest is a dark wizard from your world trying to incite rebellion. I would ask a boon of you." he said, and Sirius saw the true worry in his eyes.

"If it is in my power to grant a favor to you, majesty, than I will." he promised. Jareth turned and produced a crystal.

"Despite the loss of her magic, my sister is still fae. I would ask that you protect her from that which would harm her." he said. Sirius placed his right hand over his heart, meeting the Goblin King's gaze with his own.

"I swear that I will do everything in my power to keep your sister safe." he vowed. Jareth grinned a little, tossing the crystal at him. Sirius reached out and caught it, the smooth surface bursting to reveal a simple gold band on the ring finger of his right hand.

"When fae make a solemn oath, they risk serious injury should they break it. That ring is a reminder of your vow, though I doubt you will need it. It seems I am not the only one who ignores my feelings." Jareth said, a nostalgic expression on his face. Sirius tensed at the Fae's words, his heart speeding up.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Jareth had moved to the window, and was absently twisting the simple gold band he wore on his left ring finger.

"When I first met Sarah, she was a mortal, fifteen and full of imagination and dreams. She ran my labyrinth to retrieve her baby brother, whom, she had wished away in a moment of frustration. She made several friends along the way, and ensnared my heart completely. When she reached the castle, I tried to get her to stay with me, but her only concern was her brother's safety. When she denied me, it broke my heart. For ten years, I hid away in my castle, only leaving when a wisher called. Finally, I heard her sweet voice speak my name. When I listened, I heard her confess her guilt at breaking my heart, and how she was sure I despised her. Rin was comforting her, and my sister reminded her that she had broken her own heart as well. This revelation came as a surprise to me, as I had been sure that Sarah felt nothing but animosity towards me, the villainous Goblin King who had stolen her brother away. Rin unconsciously used her magic to call me, and Sarah and I reconciled. Shortly thereafter, my entire family was reunited, and Sarah and I were wed. We both realized that at the time, Sarah had been too young to truly understand what she had done, but neither of us had any regrets. My kingdom has flourished since her return, and my days have been brighter than I could have ever hoped." He said. Sirius moved to the window as well, smiling softly at the honest love in Jareth's eyes as he spoke of his wife.

"I understand congratulations are in order, your majesty. Do you think Rin will be able to return home before your child's birth?" he asked. Jareth shrugged, pushing the window open.

"We can only hope. Take care of her, Sirius Black. She is very precious to us." he said, turning into an owl and flying away. Sirius closed the window and leaned against the glass.

"As she is to me." he said softly, unable to deny his feelings any longer.

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Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley siblings traveled with Dumbledore, Sirius in his dog form, and Rin to Grimmauld Place for the holiday season. Along the way, Harry noticed that Sirius kept his head in her lap, watching her with worry in his canine eyes. For the most part, Rin was staring out the window of the train compartment, idly scratching between Sirius' ears with her gloved hands. The last few days before the holiday, Harry had noticed the she seemed distracted, and she used her wand instead of crystals. The goblins around the castle seemed to know he reason for her distress, for they stopped what they were doing as she passed. When they arrived at the train station, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting to take them to the headquarters and when they arrived, Rin waved her wand over herself, dropping the glamour that had become more difficult to maintain. Immediately, the portrait of Mrs. Black began screaming at them. Rin's tenuous control of her temper finally snapped, and she turned her blazing mismatched eyes at the enchanted canvas.

"ENOUGH!" she bellowed, and the painting paused in it's rant. Rin stalked over to the painting, her full regal bearing focused at the painting in anger. Sirius had returned to his human form, and was watching the scene in amusement. Harry went to pull Rin away, but his godfather stopped him.

"Let her be, Harry. She received some bad news from home a few days ago, and has been under a lot of stress. She needs this." he said softly. Harry nodded and returned to stand next to his friends.

"I have had enough of your shrieking anytime someone arrives at the door. As the first thing someone sees when they enter, you are expected to treat your guests with grace and hospitality. And as your better, I will say that you are nothing but a close minded, self righteous, little TWIT! If you are truly the head of such a noble house as you claim, then BLOODY WELL ACT LIKE IT!" Rin shouted. Mrs. Black actually shrank back from the royal figure before her, and bowed her head. The rest of the Order looked on in amazement as the normally angry painting cowered before the red haired fae.

"As you command, my majesty." Mrs. Black murmured, before leaving her frame. After a moment, Sirius began to laugh, and moved forward, grasping one of Rin's hands and bringing it to his lips.

"May I be the first to thank you for finally putting my horrid mother into her place, my lady?" he said, grinning widely. The others quickly and happily agreed, and drew the students into the kitchen for supper. Rin and Sirius remained behind, her hand still gently held in his.

"Thank you for comforting me these last few days, Sirius." she whispered. He smiled and brushed his fingers lightly along the inside if her wrist, watching with delight as her eyes darkened at the brief contact.

"It was no trouble, Rin. We should get into the kitchen before Tonks comes barreling in to fetch us." he said. With a gentle smile, she reached up and ran her fingers along his cheek, before turning to the kitchen. Sirius stood frozen in place, his skin buzzing from the gentle touch.

"I don't think I've seen you that smitten since our fifth year." Remus said as he walked down the stairs sedately. Sirius closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter. She is a princess of the fae. I am sure that she has a marriage arranged for her at home." he said, feeling the surge of anger at the thought of another man touching her soft skin. Remus came alongside his friend and looked through the doorway where Rin sat, laughing at the Weasley twins jokes. The ethereal glow of her skin was much diminished due to the sealed portal, but she seemed to shine with an inner light.

"Something tells me that Rin is far from the average fae princess. Albus tells me she was born and raised in the Muggle world." Remus said. Sirius shook his head once more, feeling his heart clench painfully at the sight of Rin so happy with the Order.

"What could she possibly see in a disgraced wizard that can't even move about in public as a human?" he said softly, desire and sadness filling his eyes. Remus gave him an encouraging smile and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I think she sees more than you might think. Come on, let's eat." he said. Nodding, Sirius followed his dearest friend into the kitchen, his heart warming at the sight of the group gathered at the table.

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Three days before Christmas Eve, the members of the order were sitting at the breakfast table when Rin breezed in. She wore burgundy robes and her hair flowed down her back, twined through with ribbons of green, gold, and white. She looked around and her gaze settled on the children.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, I would like your permission to take the children to Diagon Alley. I have yet to get anyone Christmas presents, and I am sure the children would love an outing." she suggested. The Weasley children leapt up excited, and Harry and Hermione both smiled brightly at the prospect as well. Mrs. Weasley looked a bit uncertain.

"Are you certain that is such a good idea? As much as I would love to let you all enjoy the day, could you honestly handle all the children on your own?" she asked. Rin looked at the red headed witch kindly.

"I do understand your concern Molly, but I promise that your children will be perfectly safe in my care. Besides, I won't be alone. Tonks and Remus have agreed to join us, and I have a spell that will allow Sirius to come along as well, so long as he doesn't mind staying close to me for the day." she replied. Sirius was grinning widely and stood up, looking over at Harry.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get your coat!" he said, and Harry rushed for the stairs. Hermione sat at the table, a little unsure, and Rin smiled at her.

"You are included in my invitation, Hermione, it's just that your family isn't here for me to ask permission for you to go. Go get your things." she said, and the young witch fairly sailed up the stairs. The four Weasley children turned to their parents, mouths open to plead, when Arthur held up his hand.

"I think it is a wonderful idea. Let me find the key to our vault so you can get some pocket money." he said, reaching for his pockets. Rin quickly held up her hand.

"Today is my treat, Mr. Weasley, I insist. Do not worry yourself." she said. Molly looked slightly embarrassed, but Rin reached out and squeezed her hand.

"You are far too, generous, Princess." Molly said. Rin shook her head sadly.

"Please call me Rin, Molly. there is no need for titles between friends." she said. Most of the Order still did not know about Rin's temporary change status in the High Court. The children soon arrived with Remus and Tonks in tow, bundled up for the trip. Rin turned to Sirius and pulled her wand out. Taking a deep breath, she held the point above Sirius' head, and slowly drew it down. Sirius could feel the illusion settling over him like a cloak, and shrugged his shoulders. He looked toward a mirror, and frowned.

"I don't look any different." he said. Rin laughed and took his arm.

"Of course you don't. Do I look any different to you when I wear my glamour?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Of course! The spell must only work on whoever is necessary." Hermione surmised.

"Not exactly. You all can see through the glamour because I allow it. Anyone who is not fae touched will see a wizard with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a mustache." Rin clarified. Taking Sirius' arm, she led the children to the fireplace, where they took the Floo Network to Diagon Alley. Once they had all arrived, Rin led them to Gringott's, where Rin approached the main counter. As she walked past, most of the goblins stopped what they were doing, bowing their heads in reverence to their king's sister. A goblin that Harry remembered as Griphook leapt off his chair and bowed deeply to Rin.

"Welcome to Gringott's, my Lady. How may we be of service?" he said. Rin rolled her eyes slightly, and Sirius smirked.

"My brother made arrangements for my funds to be waiting for me, Griphook. My companions and I have yet to purchase our Christmas gifts." she said. Griphook nodded, and ushered her into a private office. Sirius followed close behind her, while the children waited with Tonks and Remus. Seated at the desk was another goblin who leapt to his feet and bowed deeply before the fae woman.

"Greetings, my Lady. I have your funds here, as well as a letter from my king. He was able to get it through before the portal closed. We are hopeful that the troubles of the Underground are resolved soon." he said. Rin smiled and patted his shoulder.

"I am hopeful of the same thing, Ragnok. Did Jareth tell you the news? Queen Sarah is with child." she said. The old goblin's eyes lit up with joy and he moved to his desk.

"This truly is wonderful news. I will spread the word among all our branches. Happy Christmas, my Lady." he said, handing her an enchanted pouch. Taking Sirius' arm, she left the office and led the children out of the bank, steadfastly ignoring the curious glances of the witches and wizards in he bank. Once outside, she gave each of the children several Galleons, and told them to meet up at the bookstore in two hours, and they would go for lunch. Fred and George headed down the alley, whispering between themselves about their joke shop, while Hermione and Ginny headed for a clothing shop, while Ron and Harry headed for the joke shop. Remus and Tonks walked sedately down the street, arm in arm. Sirius grinned at his cousin and his best friend. Rin saw him smiling and followed his gaze.

"They look very happy, don't they?" she said wistfully, and Sirius glanced down to see a brief flash of longing in her eyes. Chuckling, he offered his arm to her.

"I would like to thank you for your allowing me the chance to get out like this. It makes me feel almost normal again." he said. Rin laughed, and Sirius felt his heart soar at the sound.

"I'm glad to give you the chance. I hope you don't mind me dragging you around while I get everyone gifts." she replied, taking his arm.

"Not at all. For Harry, I would recommend something related to Quidditch. He's been rather depressed since Umbridge banned him from playing. The Weasley children will be delighted with anything you give them, and Hermione would love a new book." he said. Rin nodded thoughtfully, filing away the suggestions for later.

She led Sirius into a shop and quickly began to find her gifts. A set of hair decorations for Ginny, a collapsible creation table for Fred and George's joke ideas, a brand new broom for Ron, who had been using a borrowed one for Quidditch, and a book on Defense charms for Harry. She then found a pair of gloves for Tonks, who had always cooed over Rin's, a talisman to detect poison in food for Moody, a lovely crystal necklace and earring set for Molly, a set of good winter robes for Remus, a large package of lemon candies for Dumbledore, a lovely tartan hat for Minerva, and then she made Sirius wait outside another shop while she got his gift. When she returned with her purchases hidden away in another enchanted bag, Sirius took her hand and began to lead her towards Flourish and Botts.

"You didn't have to get us anything, Rin. What you've done for the children is more than enough for us." he said. It had begun to lightly snow as they walked along, and Rin smiled brilliantly at him, snowflakes dusted like diamonds in her hair.

"I still wanted to. Besides, I also had to get a few things for Sarah and Jareth." she said, pulling out the small rattle that sent out multicolored sparks when it was shaken. Sirius smiled wider, pulling Rin closer to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. Waiting outside the bookstore were all the children, Harry and Hermione discussing a book the girl had bought. Remus and Tonks appeared a few minutes later, and the group headed down the alley to find a restaurant for lunch. As they walked, Remus leaned down to speak quietly with Tonks.

"Have you ever seen Sirius so happy?" he whispered. Tonks looked over to where Rin and Sirius were walking, pressed close together in the cold, looking for all the world like a new couple. She grinned slyly.

"No I haven't, but I think they might need a little push. Do you think that Molly has any mistletoe at the headquarters?" she asked. Remus grinned and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Nymphadora Tonks, you are the sneakiest Auror I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." he said, as her hair turned a violent crimson.

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Christmas Eve had finally arrived, and the group was discussing the differences between wizard Christmases and Underground holidays. Harry, Hermione, and Rin told about Muggle traditions they had grown up with, and Tonks had tuned a radio to play Christmas music. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were playing wizard chess near the fire, and Remus and Sirius were off somewhere discussing Order business. Suddenly, Tonks looked up at Rin.

"Rin, would you mind helping me with something in the kitchen? I promised Molly." she said. Rin nodded and stood to follow the young Auror out of the room. Just as she reached the threshold, Sirius appeared in the doorway. Rin smiled gently, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as she did. Behind Sirius, she saw Tonks smiling wickedly.

"Rin, Sirius, you might want to look up." she said, gesturing to the doorframe. As she looked up, Rin felt her cheeks fairly burst into flame as she caught sight of the mistletoe hanging above both her and Sirius. Sirius shot a glare behind him to his cousin, who was grinning expectantly. Next to her, Remus was trying hard not to smirk, and failing.

"E tu, Remus?" Sirius asked calmly. The werewolf simply smiled at the pair.

"We don't have all night, and it is tradition." he replied genially. Sirius turned back to look at Rin, excitement and eagerness warring with logic and concern. He knew he was the only person Rin had confided in about the sensitivity of her skin. In her eyes, he saw nervousness, as well as desire. Leaning down slowly to give her the chance to back away, he was overjoyed when she tilted her head back to meet his lips with hers. The kiss was gentle, light and tender. After a few moments, they broke apart to the sound of Fred and George teasing them. Rin blushed again, her blush reaching down her neck, and quickly moved past him, grabbing Tonks and dragging her into the kitchen with her. Once there, she put her hands on her hips.

"Are you insane?!" she hissed, mild fear flashing through her eyes. Tonks looked a the fae woman in surprise.

"Rin, we've seen the way you look at each other. We just wanted to give you a little push. What's wrong?" she asked. Rin sighed and sat down, her lips still buzzing from the kiss.

"Tonks, Fae are highly sensitive to touch. Why do you think I constantly wear gloves? She asked, wrapping her arms around her waist. Tonks' eye brows shot up toward her hairline.

"So, when he kissed you, it was-"

"Yeah." Rin cut her off. Tonks sat down and took her hands gently.

"That's not exactly what has you so upset, is it?" she asked gently. Rin shook her head and turned her mismatched gaze on the younger woman.

"Tonks, in the Underground, sharing a kiss under the mistletoe during the Yule season is a promise of marriage. If any of my parent's court were to find out about this, they could force us to return to honor the agreement." she said quietly. Tonks gasped as she looked at the fae.

"Well, how could they find out? Your in our world. Unless they can sense it?" she asked timidly. Rin shook her head.

"The portal has been sealed. My parents are worried about problems in the Underground, and it was necessary to seal our world off. Hopefully, no one will ever know. I won't subject Sirius to that." she said, her voice soft and sad. Tonks blinked slowly, realization washing over her.

"You love him." she breathed. Glancing around at the empty kitchen, Rin nodded.

"Yes, but you can't tell him. Sirius sees me as a princess, out of his league. I fear he will never return my feelings." she said, a single tear sliding down her face. Tonks pulled he fae into her arms, holding her as she wept. Over Rin's shoulder, Tonks caught sight of Harry standing in the doorway. The young Gryffindor turned and headed back into the living room, giving the two women their space. When he arrived, he caught his godfather's eye and gestured out the door. Sirius stood and followed Harry out the door and up to the room where Buckbeak rested.

"What's wrong, Harry?" he asked, noticing his godson twisting a ring that sat on his right thumb.

"Sirius, how do you feel about Rin?" he asked. Sirius blinked in surprise.

"Harry, the kiss was just a tradition. It's no different than if you and Hermione were the ones beneath the mistletoe." he said. Harry flushed and looked away. Sirius arched one eyebrow at the boy.

"I don't think Rin sees that kiss as simply tradition. She's falling in love with you. If you don't feel something for her, maybe you should stay here after the holidays. It might be for the best." Harry said, not looking at his godfather. Sirius was stunned by the revelation. He thought back to the feel of her in his arms as they walked down Diagon Alley, the way his heart leapt whenever she smiled at him, and the feeling of jealousy when he thought of a fae noble touching her.

"Harry, I love her too." he whispered, and Harry spun around locking eyes with his godfather. A wide grin broke out on the boy's face.

"Brilliant! You should tell her." he insisted. Sirius nodded and turned a sly grin to his godson.

"Would you like to help me get back at Moony and Tonks for this little stunt? Perhaps a taste of their own medicine is in mind." he said. Harry nodded, and headed down the stairs.

"Hermione can help me, you grab Rin once Tonks leaves." he said, running down the steps. Sirius chuckled and scratched Buckbeak's head.

"Wish me luck."

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A/N: I hope the romance in this story isn't going to fast for anybody. As this story is still nagging at me, I will keep updating, despite the sad fact I have received no reviews. I really would love to know what you all think of his story.


	4. Lost Friends and Old Stories

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I'm not sure at the moment how much further I will go on this, but I would love some feedback. As always, the only thing I really own is Rin.

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Shortly after the Christmas holiday, Rin and Sirius were walking from the Great Hall back to her classroom when Professor Sinistra called out to her. Rin looked down and stroked Sirius' muzzle.

"Why don't you head off to the classroom? I think I saw Harry and Ron ahead of us." she said. Sirius nodded his head and padded away, tail swishing. Professor Sinistra came up to the Divination Teacher, chuckling.

"There are times when I wonder if Grim is really a dog, Athena." she said. Rin smiled and shook her head.

"I understand what you mean Aurora." she replied. The Astronomy Professor tilted her head slightly, looking over Rin.

"Are you alright, Athena? You're looking a bit pale today." she said. Rin forced a bright smile on her face as she nodded. Keeping up the glamour on herself and the charm on Sirius was becoming harder and harder everyday.

"It's fine. I'm sorry Aurora, but I have to be going. I wouldn't want my students left unsupervised!" she said, bidding the professor good morning and heading down the hallway. As she turned a corner, she saw several Slytherin students, led by Draco Malfoy, standing around Sirius, who was growling. Draco held a large chain in his hand and swung it at the dog. Using her Fae reflexes to her advantage, Rin shot forward and stopped the chain from hitting Sirius by grabbing it tightly in a gloved hand.

White hot pain lanced through her hand and up her arm the instant she came into contact with the metal, and she dropped the chain quickly. Rage and adrenaline kept her from screaming out in pain, and she focused her furious glare on the boys.

"Twenty points each for willful maliciousness, and you shall all endure detention tonight atop the North Tower! Now get to class!" she snapped. Draco looked ready to snap back at her, but her paled suddenly and fled with his cronies. Once the boys had fled, Rin paled and grasped her hand to her chest. She hurried to her classroom, and beckoned Ron over.

"Ron, I need you to hurry over to Professor Dumbledore's office. Tell him I am very unwell and I will need someone to take over my classes for the day. Hurry!" she said quietly, her face white with pain. Ron nodded and headed off down the tower. Harry was looking at her, concern etched on his face.

"I'll keep the class under control until they get back Professor." he said, and Rin shot him a grateful smile, before heading into her private rooms, Sirius hot on her heels. As soon as the door shut and the enchantments were in place, Sirius transformed and took in the sigh of the woman before him. Rin walked over to a table, her hand shaking as she tried to pull her gloves off. When she finally did, it tore a cry of pain from her lips, and Sirius rushed to her side.

"Rin, what's wrong?" he asked, worry coloring his voice. Her face was white, sweat beading on her brow.

"Iron. In the chain. I forgot." she gritted out, and cold fear washed over him. Iron was one of the few things that were terribly harmful to fae. He took her hand gently and turned it over to reveal the angry red burn on her fingers and palm. Conjuring a water basin and a cloth, he began to clean the wound, guilt wracking his body with every shudder and whimper.

"Princess, I am so sorry. This is my fault. I should never have let those brats corner me. Please forgive me." he said softly. Her uninjured hand came up and brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes.

"This was not your fault Sirius. I forgot that I am no longer mortal, and didn't even think about what I was doing." she replied softly. Sirius looked into her mismatched eyes and felt his heart speed up. Swiftly he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Rin was still in his arms for a moment before her uninjured hand crept up around his neck and she was kissing him back. After a few moments, the need for air became too great, and they broke apart, gasping for breath. Rin's mismatched eyes were hazy, the same as the first day he had accidentally touched her skin. The tremors in her body had calmed down, but she was still very pale. At that moment, a knock sounded at the door, and they both started.

"Professor Jones? May I come in?" Dumbledore's voice was muffled through the door, but Sirius and Rin both visibly relaxed at his voice.

"Come in Albus." she called, after Sirius had moved into the adjoining room just in case. Only Harry and Professor Dumbledore really knew that he was there. Professor Dumbledore stepped in quickly, closing the door behind him. He swiftly came forward and kneeled before the fae princess, concern in his blue eyes.

"Are you alright, Princess? Mr. Weasley said you were unwell, but did not elaborate." he said. Wordlessly, she held out her hand for the Headmaster to examine.

"The Toad's little goon squad cornered me in the hall, and Malfoy was attempting to strike me with a chain, when Rin appeared and pulled it away. It was an iron chain, professor." Sirius said, stepping back into the room. Dumbledore's eyes widened in fright, but Rin gave him a weak smile.

"I'll be fine. My gloves protected me somewhat, and none of the iron actually came off the chain, so I will survive. Bu until the damage is healed somewhat, my magic will be diminished. I can't maintain my glamour." she said. Dumbledore patted her hand in reassurance.

"I understand. I will alert the student body that you are ill, and will return to your classes when you are feeling better." he said, standing to leave. Sirius followed him to the door, and locked it behind the Headmaster. He returned to Rin's side and finished cleaning her wound, before pulling her into his arms to carry her into her bed. He laid her down on the mattress and ran the cloth over her head.

"Rest, my lady. Gather your strength." he said softly. Her hand caught his, fingers intertwining.

"Stay with me?" she whispered, her eyelids growing heavy. With a small smile, Sirius nodded and stretched out next to her, sliding his arms around her. She nestled her head into his chest and was asleep in moments, her breathing deep and even. As Sirius drifted to sleep, he thought that his life was nearly perfect.

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Rin was perched on the edge of the tower, overlooking the lake. Umbridge had essentially taken over the school, after accusing Dumbledore of building an army of students to fight the Ministry. Dumbledore had fled, but that left Rin in a quandary. Her position had been secured by Dumbledore, and it was hardly a secret that she held the squat witch in the lowest regard. Sirius had taken to staying in dog form nearly all the time, and resting next to the fae woman as she slept. Rin had spoken with Minerva in her rooms shortly after Dumbledore's escape from the school, and confessed the real identity of her dog. Every day the glamour keeping Rin's features hidden became more difficult to maintain, and she had taken to more mundane ways of hiding her secret. She kept her ears carefully covered, gotten help from Hermione to use Muggle makeup to hide her fae markings, and rarely smiled to hide her teeth. A slight rustling nearby alerted her to another's presence, and she turned to face the door into the tower as Harry and Luna appeared from beneath his Invisibility Cloak. Luna immediately came forward and wrapped her arms around the fae.

"It will be alright. We won't let the Toad do anything to you." she said. Rin returned the girl's hug and brushed some hair out of her face.

"You're mother must have been Fae, little moon. You shine like me in the starlight." she said sadly. Harry came forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, glancing down at her hand, where the injury was now a slick scar. Rin sighed.

"Were I in the Underground, than I could have seen a healer and bear no scar. As it is, my magic is slowly returning. I'm sure I will be right as rain by next week." she replied. Harry nodded.

"That's good, because the Toad's planning on making an inspection of your class soon." Harry explained. Rin groaned and rubbed at her hand. Giving the pair a small smile, she stood.

"I should get some sleep. Remember to practice those meditations I told you about Harry. It will help with the dreams." she said, moving for the door. The two students watched her go, then quickly followed, slipping under the cloak as they went.

Four days later, the Toad was indeed in her classroom, making notes on her clipboard as she watched the students go over the many crystals sitting before them. Rin was telling them to keep in mind the difference between a scrying crystal and others.

"You must always keep in mind when gazing into the future, that nothing is ever set in stone. What you might see in the crystal is but one of the many possibilities in your future." she said, sitting gracefully at her table in the front where a smaller crystal sat. Professor Umbridge was standing nearby, a disapproving frown on her face.

"Then how might you explain the many prophecies floating around?" the Toad asked, in her sickly sweet voice. Rin fixed cold mismatched eyes on the woman, her left hand idly picking up the crystal before her.

"Prophecies are no different. The Fates left this world long ago, as human will became too strong. Destiny may still guide human hands but can never control us." she replied, her gaze shifting to Harry as she began to roll the crystal along her fingers. The whole class watched, mesmerized, as the redhead manipulated the crystal as if it were a part of her. Umbridge abruptly sat across from the Divination Teacher, a smug look on her face. Rin merely met her eyes, looking bored.

"Might you attempt to see my future?" Umbridge asked, gesturing at the crystal in Rin's hand. Rin slowly shook her head.

"This one cannot see the future." she replied, switching hands, still playing with the shimmering orb.

"Then what is it for?" Umbridge pressed. Rin flicked her wrist, and the class watched as the crystal raced up over her fingertips to sit on the back of her hand before repeating the journey to her palm, and over again in a continuous moment. A sly smirk rose on Rin's lips.

"It's just a crystal. But if you turn it like this," she clutched it in her fingers and twisted her wrist slightly, "and look into it, it will show you your dreams." she whispered, her voice seeming to hold the promise of a thousand fantasies. For a moment, Umbridge seemed to be lost in the crystals depths, hardly noticing the triumphant smirk on the Fae Princess' face. Suddenly she blinked and moved back, slightly dazed.

"Very interesting lecture, Miss Jones. Thank you." she said, standing and walking out of the classroom. A moment later, the bell rang and the students filed out. Rin sighed and looked over to Sirius, who had been laying at Harry's feet during the class.

"Such a pity." she said wistfully. Sirius came forward and nudged her side with his nose. She reached down and scratched his ears, before heading into her private rooms. As soon as the door was shut, Sirius shifted and leaned against the wall.

"So what had you looking so smug while the Toad looked into that crystal?" he asked. Rin sat on the couch and stretched like a cat, arms over her head and back arched. Sirius pushed the jolt of desire down as he watched her. She looked over at him, one eyebrow arched as she grinned smugly.

"Crystals of dreams are part of my brother's domain. Had she taken it, she would have been out of our hair by her own hand. I admit I was channeling Jareth a bit." she said, laughing lightly. Suddenly a small goblin appeared from the shadows and jumped into her lap like an eager child.

"Lady did Good! Boss be proud of Sister!" he proclaimed, and Rin giggled.

"Thank you Blinks. Is the portal opened?" she asked. The little goblin looked crestfallen.

"Still stuck here, Lady. Wanna go home!" he wailed, and Rin wrapped her arms around him, comforting the small creature much like one would a small child.

"I miss it too Blinks. But the way will be open soon, and then you'll be able to head home. Now, do you think Queen Sarah will have a boy or a girl?" she asked. The little goblin burrowed into her lap like a cat, gazing into the fire.

"Me thinks prince. All kings want prince first." he said sleepily. Sirius sat down next to Rin and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her head rest on his chest as they relaxed by the fire. He bowed his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"I think it will be a girl, and your brother will worry himself silly over her." he whispered, and Rin chuckled, snuggling closer to Sirius, shifting the goblin on her lap to the couch. She leaned her head back and kissed him quickly.

"Either way, there will be a huge celebration. Mayhap you will be able to join me." she said quietly. Sirius smiled, his face lighting up at the prospect.

"It would be my honor." he replied, meeting her lips again.

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It was not very long after Umbridge had taken control of the school that Rin realized she had not been as diligent about her glamour as she thought. Minerva had just been rushed off to St. Mungo's after being hit by four Stunner's, and Rin had a terrible feeling that Sirius would be discovered if he remained. She was walking back to her classroom after speaking with Professor Snape in the Great Hall when Blinks appeared standing next to a house elf with the most unusual fashion sense Rin had ever seen. Blinks waved her over frantically and she moved closer, kneeling to be on level with the house elf.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice quiet as she glanced around, looking for students.

"Dobby was told by Professor Dumbledore that if anyone learned the secret of the new Divination Teacher, Dobby was to tell you straight away. The Toady woman suspects you, Lady." Dobby said, concern welling up in his eyes. Rin's blood ran cold in her veins at this news, and she patted Dobby's head.

"Thank you Dobby. Will you please find Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger and ask them to come to my classroom? Quick as you can please." she said, standing and hurrying to her rooms. As soon as she arrived, she found Sirius just coming out of the side room.

"Rin, what is it?" he asked, moving forward to take her into his arms. She grasped the front of his shirt, her mismatched eyes nearly desperate with fear.

"She knows." Rin breathed, burying her head into his chest. Sirius stroked her hair, comforting the shaking woman in his arms.

"About me, or you?" he asked. She pointed at herself as her tremors slowed, and Sirius relaxed.

"If anything, she should fear you even more. Every first year knows the Fae are infinitely more powerful than us." he said soothingly, bringing her to sit next to him by the fire.

"With that banshee's prejudice against non-humans, I doubt she'll think that far. Besides, it will only work as long as I can bluff about my magic." she said. Sirius sighed and cupped her cheek.

"Then I will leave. Without having to hide my magic, you will have more power to protect yourself. All the magical creatures in this world will obey your command before the Toad, and you can protect the students." he said. Rin gripped his arms, suddenly frightened.

"I don't want you to go. Having you nearby makes me feel safe." she said softly. Sirius leaned closer, their lips a breath apart, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst through the door, locking it behind them. Hermione looked very embarrassed, Ron looked slightly surprised, and Harry looked rather smug.

"We aren't interrupting anything, are we?" he asked cheekily. Rin flushed the color of her hair and stood quickly.

"Umbridge suspects my true nature. My glamour has apparently failed far too often." she said.

"I don't understand. You didn't seem to have a problem with it until we came back from holiday. What changed?" Hermione asked.

"Trouble in the Underground forced Rin's parents to seal the portal between the worlds. Her magic had to be conformed to ours, and thus the constant glamour became a strain on her reserves." Sirius explained. Rin nodded in conformation.

"With the portal open, I had access to the magic in the Labyrinth, my namesake in my brother's kingdom. Without it, my magic is much weaker." she added.

"So, what so we do?" Ron asked, his mind working overtime to think of something.

"I'll have to leave the school. Without me to drain her resources, Rin will have a better time hiding. But we will need a distraction to get me out without the Toad's knowledge." Sirius said. Rin looked about ready to protest, but Sirius pressed a finger to her lips, shaking his head slightly. With a sigh, she bowed her head in defeat.

"I think I know just the distraction. Fred and George have been plotting one last prank to pull on Umbridge, and they would be only too happy to help you get out." Ron said. Harry beamed at his friend's idea, and even Hermione looked impressed.

"We'll go tell the twins the plan. Be ready to take off just before lunch." Harry said, pulling the others out the door. As soon as the door shut, Rin flung her arms around Sirius' neck.

"I don't want you to leave. I'll miss you too much." she whispered, a lone tear escaping to run a trail down her cheek. Sirius smiled gently down at her, brushing her tears away.

"It's not forever, my lady. Just until we can get Dumbledore back where he belongs." Sirius replied, holding her close. Rin sighed into his chest, feeling peace settle into her very being.

"I hope you're right." she whispered. Sirius lifted her chin and kissed her gently. She returned the kiss and allowed him to lead her to bed, praying to all her known gods that Sirius was right.

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Late the next evening, Rin was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, chatting with the students about Fred and George's spectacular prank and departure from the school. Rin had taken over as Head of House while Minerva was recuperating, and found the children to be a delight. Sirius had been able to slip away from the hullabaloo undetected, and promised to get a message to her as soon as he could. Rin glanced out a window, lost in thought about her family in the Underground, when she heard one of the first years speak up.

"Professor Jones, we heard that you know all sorts of stories. Would you tell us some?" the young girl asked. Several other students agreed, and Rin shifted, pulling a crystal from her robes.

"Very well. Would you like to hear the story of the Goblin King and the Labyrinth?" she asked, spinning the crystal. The students all quickly made themselves comfortable. Many of the younger students had learned that Rin was an amazing storyteller, and could even entrance adults.

"Is this the one with the Lady Sarah?" Hermione asked as she sat next to Harry and Ron. Rin smiled at the girl.

"Yes, Hermione, you finally get to hear the story." she said, and drew another crystal, moving it along with the other in a mesmerizing dance.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl, about fifteen years old. Her mother had died at a young age, and for many years, she and her father just had each other. Eventually, the girls father remarried, and the girl had a stepmother. Sarah resented her stepmother, feeling that she was trying to take over her mother's place in her life. Shortly after the wedding, Sarah's stepmother became pregnant and soon gave birth to a boy, whom they named Toby. Sarah retreated into a fantasy world more and more as the years went by, and at fifteen, she was a true believer in magic of all kinds. She was also a typical teenager, prone to moody fits of anger.

One rainy night, she was at home babysitting her year old brother, who was upset at the storm outside. Sarah was angry at the boy and told him a story about a beautiful girl who was forced to care for a wicked little boy by her horrid stepmother, and wished the child away. But what nobody knew, was that the King of the Goblin's had fallen in love with the girl, and granted her certain powers. So when Sarah, in a moment of exasperation, said the right Words, the lights went out, and little Toby vanished. Sarah ran through the house in a panic looking for her brother. When she reached her parents room, the windows were forced open, and a barn owl flew into the window, transforming into a man. Sarah was stunned at the sight of this man, who couldn't possibly be human, standing before her in dark armor, twirling several magic crystals in one hand. This was the Goblin King, come to grant her wish and take the child away. In exchange he offered Sarah her dreams, if she only forgot about the babe.

But Sarah regretted the wish, and begged for her brother's safe return. He Goblin King took her to the Underground, to his mighty Labyrinth, an gave her thirteen hours to reach the castle. Sarah agreed and headed off. Along the way, she made many friends. Hoggle, the dwarf who delighted in spraying the pesky fairies near the gate, the friendly worm who showed her the first turn, the Wiseman who gave her cryptic advice about the Labyrinth. When she came to the Red and Blue Doors, she tricked them with a riddle, and ended up in an oubliette. Hoggle appeared again and led her out, only o run into the Goblin King again. The King once more offered Sarah her dreams, but she was determined. As she continued on her way, she found Ludo, the Rock Caller, and Sir Didymus, the noble knight who guarded the bridge over the Bog of Eternal Stench. Sir Didymus was the only one who could handle the job, as he had barely any sense of smell. Not long after she met the little knight, Sarah ate an enchanted peach, and fell into a deep dream.

In the dream, Sarah found herself in a crystal ballroom, surrounded by masked figures dancing. She could remember her strong desire to find something, but she could not remember what. As she moved desperately through the crowd, she finally encountered the Goblin King, who sang to her as they danced. Sarah was almost completely mesmerized by the handsome King, and deep down she knew that she had fallen in love with him. She would have happily stayed with him in the dream, had the clock not struck twelve. With those first strikes, Sarah remembered her fight through the Labyrinth, and fled the Goblin King's arms. Picking up a chair, she threw it at a mirror and smashed the illusion.

Sarah awoke in the Junkyard of Forgotten Dreams, and was rescued by her friends. Together, they faced the Goblin Army and made it to the castle. Sarah went on alone to face the Goblin King. When she faced him at the end, the Goblin King, in desperation, held out the crystal. 'Look what I'm offering you, Sarah. Your dreams. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.' he begged. And in that moment, Sarah wanted nothing more than to accept her dreams, a life with the Goblin King. But she couldn't sacrifice her brother for her own happiness. That was the greatest lesson the Labyrinth had taught her. So with a deep breath, she said the words that broke both his heart, and hers. The magic shattered, and Sarah found herself in her parents home, her brother safe and sound in his bed. Sarah returned to her room, and began to pack away the childish part of her life, when her friends from the Labyrinth appeared in her mirror to say goodbye. It was then she learn she had the power to call her friends to her through the mirror, and was able o keep her belief in magic alive." Rin paused, to look out the window, where she saw an owl flying across the moon.

"Is that the end? They both had broken hearts?" Ginny asked, a frown on her face. Rin shook her head and twisted the crystals again.

"Ten years after Sarah ran the Labyrinth, she was an artist. Her best friend was a woman who looked very similar to the Goblin King, but with red hair instead of pale blond. She and her friend Rin discovered that Rin's father was also the Goblin King's father. That night, Sarah broke down and confessed what she had done, confiding in her friend that she did not think her love would want to ever see her again. Rin used her magic to call the Goblin King, who had heard Sarah's tearful confession. The pair confessed their love, and agreed to be married. Shortly thereafter, Sarah became the Goblin Queen, and the Labyrinth flourished." Rin said, returning he crystals to her robes. After a few moments of silence, Hermione stepped forward.

"Alright, it's past time we should be getting to bed." she said. As Rin stood up to leave, Harry stopped her.

"He'll be fine." he whispered, and Rin smiled at the boy, before heading back to her rooms. As she entered and closed the door, she sensed someone else there, and drew her wand, spinning quickly, only to find several hands clamping down on her arms. Professor Umbridge stood before her, a dark look on her face.

"Good evening, Professor Jones. Or should I say, Lady Rin?"

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A/N: Holy Cow, it's my first cliff hanger in this story! Don't fret to much, I won't leave you hanging for too long. But seriously, I begging you guys to give me some kind of review! I even have my fire proof armor back from the shop!


	5. Confrontation at the Ministry

A/N: Nope, I still don't own Harry Potter or Labyrinth.

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Rin was dragged into Umbridge's office by the same students who she had caught attacking Sirius weeks before. When she arrived, she saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna all sitting there. Luna smiled as Rin appeared, but her face darkened when she saw the princess was also a captive. Rin was roughly pushed into a chair, and tied fast. She glared at Umbridge.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she asked coldly. Umbridge merely smiled that sickly sweet smug grin.

"Why I have captured a spy in my school." she replied sweetly. Harry surged against his bonds, fury in his eyes.

"This will never be your school! Never!" he shouted. Malfoy shoved him back roughly. Rin kept her mismatched gaze locked on the Pink swathed toad before her.

"You have essentially kidnapped a member of the High Court. If this is not a violation of the treaty between our worlds, I don't know what is." she said coldly. Umbridge moved over to her desk and picked up a black quill, making a notation on a piece of parchment.

"So you admit to being Fae, and entering this school on false pretenses?" she asked calmly, as if this was a tribunal.

"I am Fae, my reasons for being here are my own." Rin said coldly. She wasn't about to give this toad a thing. Umbridge then moved over to Harry.

"You will tell me what your precious Dumbledore is planning. One way or another." she said. At that moment, the door opened and Severus Snape stepped into the room. He was barely able to hide his shock at seeing Rin bound to a chair, her glamour dropped.

"You sent for me, Professor Umbridge?" he asked dryly. Rin caught his eye and gave a barely perceptible shake of her head. _Don't let them know you know me._

"I have need of some more Veritaserum. Mr. Potter refuses to tell me where Dumbledore is." Umbridge said. Harry's eyes widened slightly.

"I'm afraid I have no more supply. Surely you didn't use all of the bottle I gave you a few weeks ago? A few drops is more than sufficient." Snape drawled, though his eye drifted to Rin.

"Well, then simply brew some more." Umbridge snapped, her temper fraying.

"I would be happy too, if you have the month to wait while it steeps." Snape replied coolly. Harry leaned forward at that moment.

"He has Snuffles! He's gonna kill him! Tell Moony he has Snuffles!" Harry shouted. Snape's eyes widened slightly, but he sneered at the boy.

"It seems the boy has finally lost his mind." he said, and headed out the door. Rin's blood ran cold. Surging against her bonds, she tried to feel for the portal, to nudge it open.

"Well, it seems I have no choice. I'm sure in these desperate times the Minister will forgive the use of a Forbidden Curse." Umbridge said casually, but Rin saw the evil glint in her eye. Fear filling her, she threw caution to the wind.

"Dolores Umbridge, you have declared war on the High Court of the Fae by kidnapping the High Princess and threatening those in her protection. Have you anything to say on your behalf before I pass judgment on you?" Rin said, her voice raised to call the goblins throughout the castle. Umbridge paused and looked back at Rin.

"I beg your pardon?" she hissed. Glancing behind Luna, Rin smiled serenely as she saw Blinks leading several goblins in releasing the students and returning their wands.

"I am High Princess Labyrinth, daughter of High King Arneth and High Queen Madrea, sister to Jareth, King of the Goblins and Master of the Labyrinth. I am a Fae who walks both our worlds, and you have attempted to kidnap me. As High Princess, the magical creatures of this world will come to my aid, and you will be taken to the Underground for you trial." Rin said coolly, thanking the gods for her time acting out plays with Sarah in college. The Slytherin students looked unsure, but Umbridge looked almost enraged.

"How dare you?! I am the High Inquisitor and Headmistress of this school! I am the highest authority and your pathetic little people can do nothing to me! Your precious High Court was cast from our world long ago, and you have no authority here!" the toad continued on her rant, seemingly unaware of the cold fury rising in Rin's mismatched eyes. Harry glanced around and saw a dozen goblins gripping their weapons with murder in their eyes. Blinks hurried over and freed the princess from her bonds and she stood swiftly, snatching Umbridge's wand and snapping it in half.

"I declare you guilty! Goblins, take her to one of the dungeons until I am ready to deal with her." Rin bellowed. The goblins surged forward and grabbed Umbridge, dragging her down the hall as she shrieked. The Slytherin students just stood there, unsure and wary. She glared at them, and drew her wand, flinging Stunners at each of them in quick succession. Harry and the others stood quickly.

"Voldermort has Sirius at he Ministry of Magic. He's gonna kill him if we don't hurry." Harry said quickly. Rin turned around and raced for her classroom, the students in hot pursuit. When she reached the classroom, she began gathering the crystals smattered around the room, shoving them into a bag.

"What are you doing, Princess?" Ron asked. Rin did not look up.

"Call me Rin, please. I am not technically a princess until the portal is reopened. These crystals hold a litle bit of Fae magic. I will need them." she said, picking up the last few crystals and slipping them into hidden pockets in her robes.

"Bu you told Umbridge that-" Hermione protested.

"She bluffed. That was pretty good, Rin. You even had me fooled." Harry said. Rin looked up and grinned.

"Sarah and I used to act for fun in college. Now, we need a way to get to the Ministry. Any ideas?" she asked.

"We can take the thestrels." Luna said, gazing out the window. Rin followed her gaze to the large creatures and smiled slightly.

"Wonderful idea Luna. Harry. Do you think any of your little army would be willing to join us?" Rin asked.

"I'll go get them." he said, racing out of the classroom. Rin headed out, but paused as she caught sight of a house elf.

"You! What's your name?" she asked. The house elf came forward slightly unsteady, in a blue dress.

"Winky, my Lady." she hiccupped. Rin kneeled down to the house elf's level.

"Winky, I need you to run to Professor Sinistra's rooms, and tell her that Umbridge is gone. Until Albus or Minerva return, she will have to be in charge." Rin said. Winky bowed and hurried down the hall, her skirts swaying. Rin stood and led Ron, Hermione, and Luna down to the Great Hall, where they met with Harry, Neville, and Ron's little sister Ginny. Rin quickly pressed a hand over Neville and Ginny's eyes, giving them Fae touched sight, and led them out onto the grounds. Harry and the others cautiously approached the thestrels, but Rin swept forward and lovingly stroked the neck of the nearest one.

"My friends, we have need of your strength to prevent an injustice. Lend us your aid." she said quietly. The thestrels bowed their heads to her and moved closer to the students. Rin was about to climb onto one when a familiar voice called out from near the lake.

"My Lady! Verily it doth my heart good to see you well!" Rin turned to see a sheepdog racing across the grass, with a little fox knight on his back. Rin quickly kneeled down as Ambrosius approached.

"Sir Didymus! Does this mean the portal is open?" she said. The little knight leapt off his mount and bowed before her.

"Indeed it is, but it was not your parents doing! My Lady hath invoked her title and claimed a violation of the treaty. My King hath sent me to defend your honor, and sends word that you may call on him if you have need." Didymus said. Rin shook her head violently.

"Absolutely not! He has enough to worry about with Sarah pregnant. Harry, you and the others make for the Ministry! I will meet you there. Find Sirius, and get him to safety. That is all that maters." she said, fixing Harry with her gaze. Harry nodded, and the thestrels took flight. Rin turned her attention back to the little knight her brother had sent her.

"I'm guessing Jareth sent something for me." she said, and Didymus smiled, drawing a crystal from her vest.

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Harry and the others were racing through the halls of the Department of Mysteries, trying to get away from the Death Eaters. The whole thing had been a trap, so that Voldermort could get his hands on a prophecy concerning him and Harry. In the ensuing chaos, Harry had smashed the prophecy, and heard the words spoken. Now, they were racing through doors, hardly paying attention to where they were. Harry and Luna were separated from the others and quickly hid behind a stone outcropping in a strange room.

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for that!" Harry cried, as the Death Eaters flung curses at them in an attempt to drive the pair out.

"Voldermort threatened someone you love. I think it's wonderful that you would fight so hard for Sirius." she said, flinging a hex over her shoulder. There was a shriek as her spell hit one of the Death Eaters. Harry looked over at her, impressed.

"Nice shot." he said. Luna smiled crookedly, and ducked to avoid another curse. Harry flung several spells out, and grabbed Luna's hand, dragging her away from their hiding place through another door. He ran into a solid body and leapt back, wand raised.

"Harry! Are you alright?!" Sirius shouted, grabbing the boy's arm. Relief washed over Harry's features and her flung his arm around Sirius' neck.

"We have to get out of here! Voldermort tricked me, I thought he had you, and Rin told me to come find you!" he said, as the three of them ran through several rooms, meeting up with the rest of the Order and Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. The students looked bruised and bloody, and the Order looked positively murderous.

"Where's Rin?" Sirius demanded, turning to face his godson.

"Someone appeared and said she had forced the portal open. She said she would catch up to us." Harry replied. At that moment, several Death Eaters appeared, surrounding the group. One woman stepped forward, her wild hair going everywhere.

"Any last words before my lord destroys you?" she asked. Both Sirius and Neville looked ready to kill her with their bare hands. Suddenly Luna surged forward.

"I wish the goblins would take you away, right now!" she cried out, her voice echoing through the room. The Death Eaters began to laugh, but suddenly the room was filled with the scurrying footsteps of creatures in the shadows. Luna and Harry smirked at the woman, who drew her wand.

"Who's hiding like a little rat?" she hissed. A barn owl flew through the air and transformed into a tall man with wild pale blond hair and mismatched eyes, wearing dark armor. Bellatrix vanished in a plume of black smoke, but another of the Death Eaters wasn't so fortunate, and the goblins snatched him away. The man in dark armor turned to face Luna, one eyebrow arched.

"Well, little moon, I see you have learned your lessons well. Of course, I am required to offer you a chance to run the labyrinth, or a crystal." he said, holding out the shimmering orb. Luna returned his smirk and shook her head.

"No need. I have my friends, and I refuse to run the labyrinth. You may do what you wish with the Death Eater." she said, moving back to Harry's side. Harry reached down and squeezed her hand, smiling gently down at her. Jareth smirked at this.

"Now then, where is my sister? She and I have much to discuss." he said, his grin widening. A wisp of smoke appeared in a shadow and Rin stepped forward, her face pale. Standing behind her was Voldermort, his wand pressed to her cheek. Jareth and Sirius both started at the sight, but Voldermort held up one hand.

"Careful! We wouldn't want anything to happen to the Princess, now would we?" he hissed. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Jareth, I'm sorry. He took the crystal, I couldn't stop him." she said. Jareth scoffed and flicked his wrist. The orb sailed from the Dark Wizard's robes to the Goblin King's hand.

"This little trinket? Now why would he want to take a bracelet from Sarah?" he asked, twisting the crystal. Sirius frowned in confusion, but then he caught Rin's eyes. The tears vanished, and she winked, pulling a crystal from her robes.

"Catch!" she cried, tossing it up into the air. Voldermort reached up to catch the crystal and Rin slipped from his grasp, flying into Sirius' arms. Voldermort caught the crystal and looked deep into it. He froze, his gaze locked on the orb before him. Jareth laughed aloud as Dumbledore appeared in a plume of fire, Fawkes at his side.

"What's going on?" he demanded. Rin faced him, safe in Sirius' arms.

"Jareth and I caught the Dark Lord. He's trapped by the crystal, and will remain until it is taken from him. You, Brother, are a superb actor." she said, glancing at Jareth, who had just risen from a bow to Fawkes.

"Yes, well what else would you expect? I have to appear cruel and cold when I take a wished away, even though I am far from it." he said, grinning. Dumbledore looked sufficiently surprised, but quickly bowed to Jareth and Rin.

"Then may I offer my heartfelt thanks, your Majesty's, in your assistance in capturing Voldermort." he asked. No sooner were the words out of his mouth, Bellatrix appeared in a puff of acrid smoke, slapped the crystal from Voldermort's hand, and Apparated the two of them away. All this was done before any of them could react. One of the fireplaces erupted in green flames, and Cornelius Fudge appeared, his face drained of color as he took in the beaten Death Eaters that lay in the room, courtesy of Jareth's goblins.

"Oh, dear. What on Earth has happened here?" he exclaimed. Rin and Jareth moved forward as one, their regal bearing making the Minister cower before them.

"What happened here was Voldermort attacked this place, and very nearly killed Harry Potter. It was only due to the quick thinking of these students that he was stopped." Jareth said.

"And you have even more trouble on your hands. Your undersecretary attempted to attack and kidnap a member of the High Court. The daughter of the High King and Queen, to be exact. If I recall, that is a blatant violation of the treaty between our worlds." Rin said calmly. Fudge blanched at her words.

"I am sure that Dolores had no idea-" he started, but Rin silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"Fortunately for you, I am in a forgiving mood. Remove all those ridiculous laws concerning Hogwarts, and the little toad who dared think herself above the law, and I will consider the matter closed." she said. Fudge nodded silently, her shoulders drooping in defeat. Jareth turned and embraced his sister.

"Are you going to stay?" he asked, though his eyes said he knew the answer.

"Yes. I promised to help in the fight against Voldermort, so until this war is over, I will stay." she replied. Jareth glanced over at Sirius, who was watching them closely.

"He makes you happy, sister. This is a good thing." Jareth whispered, before vanishing in a burst of glitter and magic. Rin smiled even wider as she turned to face Professor Dumbledore.

"If you are staying, Princess, perhaps you would be willing to take up Professor Umbridge's position? I have a feeling it will be a better use of your skills." he said. Rin nodded and shook the old wizard's hand.

"I would be delighted." she replied. Finally, she moved back to the group and slid her arms around Sirius' neck, as his hands found her waist.

"I'm glad you're staying." he said quietly. She smiled warmly at him.

"Come with me?" she whispered, leaning closer to him. He grinned widely.

"Definitely." he replied, meeting her lips with his. Several catcalls and chuckles met their display, but the pair seemed oblivious. Near the back of the group, Tonks slid her arm around Remus' waist.

"Told you they make a cute couple." she whispered. Remus smiled right back, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"They aren't the only ones." he replied.

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End of term finally came, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Neville all gathered into a compartment on the train to London with Rin. Rin had left her glamour off for the remainder of the term, and was looking forward to her return. As the students chattered excitedly, Rin watched over them with a serene smile on her face. Harry sat next to Luna, her small hand clasped gently in his. Ginny was fussing over Neville, who had several bandages wrapped around one arm. Hermione and Ron sat very close to each other as well, their heads close together as they spoke softly. Many bonds had been forged over the year, and Rin felt a subtle magic flowing from the group with her. As she watched new love blossom, she felt her heart soar with the power filling the train. Far faster than she realized, the train was pulling into the station, and the children hurried off, Rin close on their heels. The Weasleys were waiting for their two youngest, and Fred and George showed off the fine dragon skin coats bearing the sign of their new joke shop. Luna's father was also nearby, and she bid the other's goodbye, giving Harry a quick kiss before waltzing away to where her father stood. Harry was dumbstruck as he watched her move away through the crowd. Rin came forward and nudged him with her elbow.

"You'll be able to write her this summer. And if you want, I can teach you how to use a mirror to talk to her." she said. Harry smiled up a her and they turned to see Sirius waiting with the Weasleys, in human form. He held his arms out, and Rin flew into them, meeting his lips with hers.

"Aren't you still a fugitive from Azkaban?" she asked between kisses. Sirius laughed and spun her around.

"Dumbledore gave Fudge the proof he needed to exonerate me. I'm finally a free man!" he said, beaming. Rin held him close, and pressed her forehead to his.

"I love you." she whispered. His smile grew even brighter, and he kissed her deeply.

"And I love you, my beautiful Fae." he breathed. The pair broke apart as they heard the Weasley children taunting them. Hermione's parents had joined them and were introduced to everyone. Neville and Ginny quietly said goodbye, and Neville slipped away to meet his grandmother. Harry was looking around, almost dreading what he might find.

"Harry, why don't you spend the summer with me? It would be far safer than that horrid Muggle home." Rin suggested. Harry's eyes lit up with hope.

"Out of the question. You'll both be staying with me, at Grimmauld Place." Sirius said, his eyes twinkling. Rin looked over at Sirius, and kissed him again in excitement, as Harry readily agreed.

"We can't forget the You-Know-Who is still on the loose." Hermione said. Sirius shrugged.

"True enough, but we have a Fae princess on our side. We'll catch him sooner or later." Sirius replied. Harry had dimmed at the mention of Voldermort. Rin reached out and squeezed the boy's shoulder.

"Harry what's wrong?" she asked. With a sigh, Harry admitted what he had heard in the prophecy. Rin smiled and produced a crystal.

"Do you remember my lesson about crystals, and seeing the future? Nothing is set in stone. Prophecies are interpretations of one possible future. And you make your own Fate." she said. Harry gave her a weak smile. Sirius slid one arm around Rin's waist, and draped the other around Harry's shoulders.

"Come on, let's go home." he said. Harry's grin widened at his words.

"Home. Finally." he said softly, following Sirius and Rin out of the train station, past the Durselys, and into London.

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A/N: I'M NOT DONE YET!!! This is the part where everyhing spirals completely AU, but I am far from finished. So, please stay tuned!


	6. To the Underground

A/N: Here it is! I'm so sorry it has taken so long to get this up, but that's life. I hope to have the next chapter up within a week. My daughter is finally going to daycare, so it cuts down on the interruptions in my writing. Please stay tuned, because the next few chapters will be in the Underground, and there will be Jareth!

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After so many years of being locked up, and then having to hide after his escape, Sirius practically begged Harry and Rin to join him in outdoor excursions every day. The teen and the Fae gladly joined him, simply glad to see how full of life the former fugitive was. Harry regularly corresponded with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. Three weeks after their arrival at Grimmauld Place, Rin enchanted a mirror in Harry's room to allow the boy to call on his friends anytime he wished. Arthur Weasley was delighted when the princess described the magic as the Underground version of a telephone, and immediately usurped her attention for the rest of the day to ask her about the finer points of the muggle technology she had grown up with. Ron and his brothers were regular visitors to the Order's headquarters, and Rin often volunteered to keep the children occupied while the Order conducted business. Ron and Harry protested being left out of everything the first few times, but then Rin sat down with them.

"Harry, Ron, isn't the stress of school, and the worry of the war enough for now? The Order knows that you will be more involved in this war than any of them would like, but they would prefer to minimize your exposure. They are, first and foremost, your family. My parents did the same for me when they came to the Aboveground to bring me up. If I had been raised in the Underground, I would have been a spoiled, vapid brat. I daresay I would be worse than Malfoy." she said, drawing a laugh from the redheaded wizard.

"Fat chance of that. Malfoy's a total git." he said.

"I think I understand, Rin. It's strange, having so many people around who care about me." Harry said. Ron leaned over and nudged the dark haired boy's shoulder with his fist.

"You've always had those people around, Harry. It's just those idiot muggles kept you from seeing it." he said. With a wry smile, Harry nodded and headed up to his room to call on Luna. Rin smiled as she felt strong arms wrap around her waist.

"How did you get to be so good with teenagers?" Sirius asked, pressing a kiss to her temple. She smiled and turned in his arms so she could see his loving eyes.

"I was a teacher's assistant in high school, and I volunteered with Madre in college at a youth shelter. Besides, my brother's kingdom has a lot of kids. I guess it runs in the family." she explained.

"I thought the wished away children were turned into goblins." Sirius said, his brow furrowed slightly. Rin laughed and caressed the line of his brow. She almost never wore her gloves around him anymore, and relished the tingle that went through her fingers when she touched him.

"The way the goblins repopulate? No way. The children are turned into Underground denizens, yes, but almost never goblins. You see, it's very rare for Fae to conceive, so most take in the unwanted children. They live very happy lives. The only ones to become goblins are the ones that are so terribly sick that they need the hardy nature of the goblin to survive." she explained. The pair had drifted to a couch and settled comfortably together.

"Once again, your world has impressed me. First with your brother's clever trap for Voldermort, and now with the way they care for all those children." he said, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Don't forget, I grew up in the Aboveground. This is as much my world as the Underground is." she replied. Sirius smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

"My world is anywhere where you are." he said softly against her lips.

* * *

In early July, Rin, Sirius, and Harry were relaxing in the living room when suddenly, a goblin launched from the shadows and into Rin's lap.

"Lady had baby! Boss really happy, and we's having party!" he cried. Rin laughed in great delight and embraced the little goblin.

"That's wonderful! Is it a boy or a girl?" she demanded.

"Little girl! Pretty eyes like Lady, hair like Boss." the goblin replied. Rin sat up and looked at Sirius with an impish grin.

"Would you all like to join me in the Underground?" she asked. Harry looked up at his godfather hopefully. Sirius laughed and hugged Rin and the little goblin.

Of course. Do you think Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville might join us?" he asked. Rin summoned a series of crystals and tossed them into the air, where they vanished.

"Pack your things. We'll leave as soon as we hear from the others." she said. Harry and Sirius headed upstairs to pack their bags, and Rin headed into the study where Professor Dumbledore was hunched over the desk. He looked up as the Fae woman entered the room.

"Good afternoon, princess. How are you today?" he asked pleasantly, but Rin saw a dark shadow in his eyes.

"I've just received word from the Underground. Sarah has had her baby. Sirius, Harry, and I are heading there. If you need to contact us, simply call my name." she said. Dumbledore nodded somberly.

"It might be good for Harry to leave for a time." he said. Rin glanced at the door, and sat down across from the wizard.

"I'm not certain what you are planning to do that has such a grim look in your eye, but please wait until I return to do anything. If you cannot wait any longer and I am not back, please call me." she said. Dumbledore's face did not show his reaction, but his eyes twitched up to meet Rin's mismatched gaze. He lifted his wand and waved it at the door, then settled back with a sigh.

"I believe I have determined how Voldermort was able to keep himself alive when his spell against Harry backfired. Have you ever heard of a Horcruxes?" he asked. Rin frowned as she went over her intense magic lessons in her head.

"I am not familiar with the term." she replied.

"A Horcruxes is a forbidden enchantment that is made by tearing one's soul into pieces and placing the pieces into items for safekeeping. So long as the items are intact, the person cannot truly die, even if the body is destroyed. I am not certain how many Horcruxes Voldermort made, but I believe I have located at least one. The enchantments binding the soul piece to the item are quite powerful, but I am fairly confident I can break them." Dumbledore explained. Rin felt a chill shoot down her spine at the description.

"But you aren't sure you will survive." she said. His eyes flicked down in conformation. Rin felt the gentle tug of a reply from her crystals, and stood with a sigh.

"Just promise me you will wait until after I return from the Underground. I fear the Order might not survive if anything happened to you." she said, as she headed out the door.

"Thank you Princess. I pray that this can wait until you return. And please give his majesty my sincere congratulations." Dumbledore said as she left the room. Once in the front hall, she called up to Harry and Sirius and told them she would return shortly before vanishing into a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Rin appeared in the back yard of a simple muggle home. She waved a hand over her clothes and was instantly wearing simple jeans and a hunter green blouse. Her red hair was pinned up in a French twist, and her old glasses were once again perched on her nose. She calmly walked around to the front door and knocked. After a moment, the door opened to reveal Hermione, smiling widely.

"Come in Rin. Mum and Dad just want to meet you before they let me come with you." she explained. Rin followed into a comfortably furnished living room. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were seated on the sofa and smiled politely at her.

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I'm Labyrinth Jones, but please, call me Rin. " she said, offering her hand. Mrs. Granger smiled welcomingly as she shook the Fae's gloved hand.

"We were almost expecting you to just pop in." she explained. Rin laughed lightly as she shook hands with Mr. Granger.

"I grew up in the Aboveground in a normal mortal home before my parents brought me back to the Underground to train in magic. I thought you might be more comfortable if I knocked. Besides, it seemed the polite thing to do." she explained.

"Well, thank you for your courtesy. Now, Hermione said you have invited her to visit your brother's kingdom, but I profess to being a little lost." Mr. Granger said, gesturing to the chair across from the couch. Rin sat down with the liquid grace inherent to her Fae heritage.

"I understand how you might be confused. First I should explain. I am not a witch like dear Hermione, though from what I have seen, you should be terribly proud of your daughter. Her innate talent rivals most Fae adults. That is what I am, a Fae daughter of the High King and High Queen. I was born here in the Aboveground, what we call your world, and raised here to give me a more grounded life. Three years ago, I was brought back to the Underground by my parents after my dearest friend Sarah inadvertently called on my brother, the Goblin King. You see, many years ago, Sarah had been a runner in the Labyrinth, a part of my brother's kingdom. She had accidentally wished away her baby half brother to the goblins. She was the first runner to not only reach the Castle beyond the Goblin City, but to actually master the Labyrinth. In doing so, she captured Jareth's heart. It took some time for the two of them to end up together, but they were finally married a few years ago. Recently, Sarah gave birth to a daughter, and I am returning to the Underground to see my family. Fae births are rare, so they are highly celebrated. I have invited Hermione and several of her friends to join me in the Underground for a time. I know Hermione would love to see my world, and meet some of the creatures that live in the Labyrinth, she spent a large amount of time after classes asking me questions about the Fae and the Labyrinth. Harry Potter and his godfather will also be joining us, and I am waiting for a reply from the Weasleys, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood." Rin explained.

"How long will the children be gone?" asked Mrs. Granger.

"I am not certain, but I can promise that we will be back before the school term begins. I am still a teacher at Hogwarts." Rin replied with a gentle smile, keeping most of her pointed teeth hidden.

"Rin showed me how to use a mirror to contact Harry and the others. I'm sure I can use the same magic to call you anytime." Hermione supplied.

"Of course. I can even enchant a mirror here in your home so that you can also call on your daughter at any time. Even at school." Rin offered.

"Really? We thought magic things wouldn't work for us, being muggles." Mr. Granger said. Rin smiled genially as she summoned a crystal and began to play with it.

"Mortal magic and Underground magic have different rules. Fae magic will work for anyone we wish it to." she replied, offering the crystal to the two adults. Mrs. Granger took it and held it up to the light. She and Mr. Granger gasped as the dancing lights inside took the shape of Harry Potter and Sirius Black hauling trunks down the steps of Grimmauld Place.

"This is amazing! I had almost thought we would be used to magic since Hermione was accepted at Hogwarts, but we have never seen this." Mrs. Granger said, awed. Rin smiled at Hermione.

"There is quite a bit that Hermione can do in this world that escapes me. I do promise that your daughter will be perfectly safe." Rin said.

"Alright, Hermione can go. Have you packed your trunk, dear?" Mr. Granger looked over at his daughter, who nodded eagerly and hurried off to fetch her trunk. As soon as the bushy haired witch was out of earshot, Rin turned back to the Granger's with a serious expression.

"I don't know how much Hermione has told you about recent events in the Wizarding World, but I wanted you to know that the Death Eaters have been targeting muggle families of witches and wizards. That being said, we have placed some very powerful wards on your home, and I have convinced a few of my brother's goblins to guard you. You will likely never see them, but they will dissuade any attacks when you are out of the house. Please don't worry overmuch." she said. Mrs. Granger blanched and gripped her husband's hand.

"We have discussed the possibility of an attack on us with Hermione. She said that if it looked like we would become a target, she would take steps to keep us safe. All we really care about is that our daughter is safe and happy." Mr. Granger said.

"I can promise you that I will keep her safe. Fae do not make promises lightly." Rin answered somberly. At that moment, Hermione appeared, pulling her trunk with her.

"I'm ready. I hope I've packed the right kind of clothes. From what you've told me about the Goblin Kingdom, I brought summer clothes that I don't mind getting dirty or torn. I can always fix them before school starts." she said. Rin stood and produced another crystal.

"When you want to talk to Hermione, simply pres the crystal into the glass of the mirror and call her name. She'll hear you and find a mirror to respond." Rin explained. The Granger's said their goodbyes, and hugged each other goodbye, then Hermione came to stand next to Rin, who tossed the crystal in her hand into the air and they promptly vanished in a shower of crystal dust.

* * *

After returning to Grimmauld Place with Hermione, Rin answered the call from Neville's crystal, and spent the next three hours being grilled by his grandmother about the Underground, her family, and the length of the trip. Finally, she gave her blessing for Neville to go to the Underground. When they arrived at the Order's headquarters, Ron and Ginny were waiting with their parents.

"Hello Rin. Ron and Ginny are very excited about this trip. We came to see them off." Molly explained as Sirius moved to Rin's side.

"Excellent. Now we just have to wait for Luna." Harry said, a bright grin on his face. At that moment, Rin stared into space, her mismatched eyes going glassy. Sirius reached up and brushed his fingers along the Fae's neck. She shivered and blinked rapidly, drawing a crystal from midair and tossing it at the ground next to Harry. The crystal burst like a soap bubble, and Luna appeared, looking her usual dreamy self. She grinned widely as she took in the teens around her.

"Father was very excited about my invitation." she said, offering Harry a serene smile. Rin opened her mouth to say something, but then the front door opened, and Remus and Tonks came in, laughing merrily with their arms wrapped around each other. They froze at the sight of all the people in the hallway, and Rin smiled smugly.

"Don't you smirk at us like that princess. You and Sirius are even worse." Tonks snapped. A delicate blush colored Rin's pointed ears, and she summoned a crystal.

"I guess Albus won the pool." she said as she tossed the crystal in the air, causing herself, Sirius, and the teens to vanish. The last thing she heard was Remus' puzzled question.

"What pool?"


	7. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City

A/N: I have finally got this chapter finished! There is a little bit of a set p for the next couple of chapters, and with any luck I will have them finished soon. As always, any recognizable characters are not mine, I am just borrowing them.

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The Castle beyond the Goblin City was in a tizzy over preparations for the grand celebration in honor of the new little princess when Rin and the children arrived in a cloud of sweet smelling smoke. Rin laughed as she gazed happily around the throne room where they had appeared, and the many goblins cleaning and singing at the top of their lungs. She had magically changed into a light summer gown of pale lilac that left her shoulders bare, her hair pinned so it cascaded down her back, revealing her ears. Suddenly, a tall figure appeared and swept her up into his arms. Sirius tensed for a brief moment, but relaxed once he recognized Jareth. The Goblin King swung his sister around joyfully, and she laughed again as she embraced her brother.

"Congratulations, brother! A little girl to drive you mad as a hatter!" she crowed. Jareth set her on her feet and smiled warmly.

"I couldn't be happier. You should see her, Rin. She is so beautiful." he said. Rin smiled back at her brother, her skin seeming to glow even in the shadowed throne room.

"I can hardly wait to see my little niece, but first things first." she said, gesturing to the group of witches and wizards who waited patiently for the siblings to finish their reunion.

"Of course. Kip! Slink! Show our guests to their rooms." Jareth said. A pair of goblins appeared and ushered the group to follow them down the hallway.

The guest wing overlooked the edge of the Labyrinth that held the Fireys forest, and Rin settled onto the windowsill as soon as she and Sirius were shown their chambers. She closed her eyes and let the magic of the labyrinth wash over her for the first time in close to a year. Behind her, Sirius watched as the subtle glow in her skin grew more pronounced. The gold in her hair began to gently pulse with power as he came forward and slid his arms around her waist, content to hold her and gaze out over the Labyrinth.

"Breathtaking." he whispered in her ear. Rin sighed and settled back against his chest, feeling her heart swell with love. She looked down to where her bare fingers were intertwined with his, and saw that some of the glow in her skin was leeching onto his. She shifted slightly to face Sirius.

"I should warn you that you are going to face some competition here. Several Fae nobles have been trying to acquire my hand as a way to increase their own power. I would not be surprised if some of them try to get me away from you." she said. A shadow crossed his face as he reached up to cup her face in his hands.

"I have endured so much in my life. I ran away from home at sixteen because my family was unbearable with all their talk of blood purity. Then came the war, and I lost so many good friends. When James and Lily were killed, I thought I really would break. Then I learned of Wormtail's betrayal, and my desire for revenge kept me going in Azkaban, a place where I should have wasted away. Even after I escaped I still had to deal with so much loss, I thought I should just bury myself and be done with it. Then you came along. It was like you shook the dust from my life and forced open the windows to let in the breeze. For the first time in so very long, I felt needed, even wanted. Being away from you even for those few short weeks this spring was a worse torment than all those years in Azkaban. I will not let some simpering fool of a Fae take you from me." he said, gazing deep into her mismatched eyes. Her hands came up and grasped his.

"You are my life, my heart, my sanctuary in troubled times. I love you with all that I am, and every fiber of my being." she vowed. Sirius leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Unnoticed by the pair, the hedge maze in the labyrinth suddenly erupted in blossoms of varying color, all bouncing and twisting in an unseen breeze.

* * *

"Oh, she is adorable!" Rin cooed as she leaned over the cradle which held the tiny Fae. The little girl had a head of blonde hair like her father, and deep green eyes. She gurgled happily and reached for the swinging crystal pendant that Rin wore. Sarah was resting in a nearby chair, looking worn but happy, her serene smile making the glow more pronounced in her skin.

"The whole of the Labyrinth is celebrating her birth. The naming ceremony is in two days, and your parents are extremely excited. They'll be over the moon when they learn that you're here." she said, smiling at her sister in law. Rin looked over and smiled at Sarah, waving a hand and holding out a crystal. She tossed it to the Goblin Queen, where it turned into a sturdy mug filled with Sarah's favorite blended drink.

"I know that Jareth's cook would never figure out that blasted espresso machine, so I brought you something." she said as Sarah took a sip. The queen moaned in delight, sending both of them into a fit of giggles.

"How are your students settling in?" Sarah asked. Rin smiled.

"Hermione found the library and disappeared into the shelves within an hour of getting here. Harry and Luna went to take a walk in the gardens, though I warned them to stay clear of the Labyrinth. Ron, Ginny, and Neville are playing with the goblins, I think." she said.

"An what of your protective wizard, Sirius, correct?" Sarah asked. Rin smiled fondly as she thought of her wizard. Even now, she could practically feel his arms around her.

"He and Jareth are talking somewhere." she replied. Sarah smiled impishly at her sister in law.

"So, things are serious between you two, are they?" she asked, a teasing tone to her voice. Rin laughed.

"Yes, they are. No need to say I told you so." she replied. Sarah stood as the babe began to fuss and lifted her from the cradle.

"I am just glad that you are happy. Didn't we say that all we wanted out of life was to find love and get our happily ever after?" she asked, rocking slightly with her daughter in her arms.

"I believe we did, didn't we?" Rin mused softly, her gaze drifting out the window, where the hedge maze was visible, covered in blooms of every imaginable color. She stood and went to the window, tilting her head curiously at the maze.

"I don't remember the maze ever blooming like that before." she commented, and Sarah walked over to the window as well.

"It never has. That's odd. I don't remember those flowers being there this morning." she said, tilting her head curiously. At that moment, a bell sounded in the chamber, and Sarah looked back to the doors of her private sitting room. The door slid open and a goblin poked his head in.

"They's a mean looking elf wanting to see Boss and Lady." he said. Sarah's brow furrowed.

"Jareth, I need you." she called, and the Goblin King appeared in a swirl of glitter.

"That damnable woman is actually bothering us?" he asked, a frown on his face. A moment later, Sirius appeared with a pop. Rin looked over at him in surprise.

"I didn't realize you could Apparate in the Underground." she said, as he moved to stand by her side.

"Apparently, our magic is not too terribly different." he breathed in her ear, as a commotion erupted outside the room. Jareth had his arms around his wife and child, giving the door a dark glare, right before it opened to reveal…

"Estra, you have been told that you are far from welcome in my court. State your business quickly an get out." he snarled at the elven woman who stood in the doorway. Estra sniffed in disapproval as she caught sight of Rin, and drew herself up.

"I am here to deliver a message to Princess Labyrinth. Since she has finally returned to the Underground, it is time for her to give her hand in marriage. The courts agree that Lord Rendorin is the most suitable of the eligible candidates…" she said, only to be cut off by Rin's icy voice.

"My parents would never agree to this." she hissed. Estra turned a disdainful look on the redheaded princess.

"Of course they will. After all, you have accepted his request to court you at the ball in celebration of your brother's heir." she said, a self satisfied smirk on her face.

"I did no such…You forged my name!" Rin shrieked in realization, a crystal appearing in her hand in a second. Estra was gone before the furious princess had a chance to throw it.

"That bog is too good for that woman." Jareth said. Rin clutched desperately to Sirius, worry in her eyes.

"What am I going to do? I was such a fool to let that woman have free reign over all my correspondence. Most of the kingdoms would likely accept her missives for my own." she cried. Sirius pulled her close, lacing their fingers together. Sarah saw their bare hands intertwined and nudged her husband. Jareth followed his queen's gaze and smirked widely.

"Fear not, sister. I have a plan. For now, tend to your students. I promise that everything will be ready before the naming ceremony." he said. Sirius led Rin away, and Sarah pulled Jareth to the window to show him the flowers that had simply appeared over the hedge maze.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Sarah asked. Jareth looked down at his wife with a gentle smile.

"It means that idiot elf is in far over her head." he replied, drawing his daughter from Sarah's arms and holding her up to see the flowers. Sarah leaned her head on his shoulder as he began to sing a very familiar tune.

_But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down._

* * *

Harry and Luna were walking hand in hand in the gardens around the palace, talking about everything and nothing, when a dwarf came hobbling around the corner, carrying a spray can. Luna giggled as he sprayed a tiny fairy, and he looked up at the pair with a sour expression on his face.

"Who're you? These are the King's private gardens. Guests aren't supposed to be wanderin' in 'em." he said.

"Professor Jones, I mean, Princess Rin said we were allowed." Harry said. At Rin's name, the dwarf lightened.

"Rin's back? Good. That'll make Sarah happy." he said, turning back to his spraying. Luna tugged Harry's hand and led him to another part of the garden, where a large peach tree grew over a comfortable bench.

"Do you think the king got the peach he gave to Lady Sarah from this tree?" she asked, turning her dreamy eyed gaze up to it's branches as she sat down. Harry sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Are you thinking of vanishing into an enchanted dream?" he whispered in her ear. She laughed lightly and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Why leave the one I'm in? I am in a magical land, and I have the attentions of a handsome young man. What more could a girl ask for?" she replied, standing up and spinning lazily under the branches of the tree. Harry stood up and caught her hands, pulling her into his arms and gently pressing his lips to hers. She slid her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, oblivious to the shower of peach blossoms that surrounded them.

* * *

Hermione was lounging in a comfortable chair, a large book open across her lap, when Ron found her. He smiled fondly as he leaned over the back of the chair, propping his chin in his hand.

"Here we are, in a mystical kingdom that no wizard has entered in centuries, and you are holed up in here with a book." he said, grinning when she jumped slightly.

"Ron! You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that." she scolded, a slight smile on her face. Ron pushed the book off her lap and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on. There are things here that our professors would kill to see. You should see the rock caller, Ludo." he said with a smile. Hermione laughed as he drew her to the door.

"Ron, stop! Maybe I don't want to look around at the moment. What if I just want to take a walk?" she said, her smile turning coy. Ron looked down at her dumbly for a moment. Hermione sighed and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek.

"I know you aren't that thick, Ronald." she said, pulling him down the hallway. Ron allowed her to pull him along, a dazed smile on his face. After a moment, Ginny and Neville poked their heads around the corner. Neville looked down at Ginny and sighed.

"Alright, alright. I owe you three Chocolate Frogs. I never thought he would get her out of that library." he said. Ginny smiled triumphantly.

"Never underestimate a woman, Neville." she replied, turning and heading back for the main hall. As the pair walked along they heard a woman giggling, and slipped into a little niche to see what was going on. After a moment, Rin appeared, skipping ahead of Sirius, who caught her arm and pulled her close with a smug grin. Her easy grin morphed into a warm smile, full of love, as he leaned forward to meet her lips with his. Ginny clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the girlish squeal that threatened to erupt from her. Sirius' hand came up to cradle the Fae's cheek, and Neville noticed the muted glow that seemed to spread from her skin to his. He gently pulled Ginny away down the hall to give Sirius an Rin their privacy.

* * *

Estra appeared in the shadowy hall of the Elven dungeons. She turned around and saw Lord Rendorin leaning against the wall, watching her darkly. She bowed low before him.

"The High Princess has returned to the Underground. Everything is set for the naming ceremony." she said.

"Good. Soon I will finally have the title I deserve, and that little bitch will give it to me." Rendorin hissed, a cruel smile on his face.

Across the Underground, the Labyrinth shuddered, sending the goblins scrambling. Jareth and Sarah looked at each other grimly, hoping their ace in the hole would be enough.

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A/N: Next up is the party, and the ebil elves plots! Stay tuned!


	8. The Naming Ceremony

A/N: I am so sorry it has taken so long for this chapter to get finished! I had a massive assault by plot bunnies and it is very hard to get the little buggers back in their cages! Usual disclaimers apply, now on to the party!

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The day of the naming ceremony arrived, and the girls joined Sarah in her chambers while the boys gathered in Rin and Sirius' rooms to prepare. The Goblin King and Queen had risen to the occasion, and dressed the visiting witches and wizards in the finest clothes they had to offer. Hermione and Ginny were dressed in shades of rose, with ropes of pearls strung through their hair which had been tamed and properly curled for the occasion. Luna wore a shimmering gown of silver and blue, her own hair pinned up with beautiful blue stones. Sarah wore a lovely gown of pure white, her hair held back by the silvery tiara that depicted her station as Goblin Queen. Around her neck was a talisman similar to Jareth's, but silver rather than gold. Rin stepped from behind the changing screen, and the three young girls gasped in awe. She wore a gown of the deepest emerald, a gown that hung off her shoulders and flowed down her arms to the soft leather gloves on her hands. Her hair cascaded down her back, woven through with ribbons of green and gold, all ending at the slim golden circlet of a High Princess. Around her neck were two charms, the small talisman of the Underground she had owned since she was a child, and a rather simple labyrinth charm that Sirius had given her shortly after their return to Grimmauld Place for the summer. Sarah smiled as she came forward and embraced her sister in law.

"You look beautiful. Now then, is everyone ready?" she asked. The three young witches nodded eagerly, and Sarah led them to the hall where they would make their entrance. Waiting for them were the boys, and they all smiled at the women. Jareth wore white to compliment his wife, and came forward to take her hand in his.

"You are breathtaking, Precious." He said, bringing her fingers to his lips. Sarah smiled demurely at her husband.

"Thank you darling. And you look wonderful as always." She replied. Luna glided towards Harry, who looked resplendent in the deep blue outfit Jareth had provided him. He was staring at Luna, wide eyed as she came to a stop before him.

"Luna, you're glowing." He breathed. Luna smiled dreamily.

"The Queen says my mother was a Fae, so maybe I am." She replied. Ginny and Hermione approached Ron and Neville, both wearing outfits in shades of cream an ivory, and they bowed before the girls. Sirius grinned as he watched the teens pair off, and then he looked up to see Rin, and stopped breathing. She slowly walked towards him, her eyes taking in the fine dark green clothes he wore, and paused before him.

"Never have I seen anything so beautiful." He whispered. Rin smiled up at him and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Remember you said that when you meet my parents." She whispered, just as the doors opened and the majordomo began to announce their arrival.

"Their Majesties King Jareth and Queen Sarah of the Goblin City, Lord and Lady of the Labyrinth." He said as Jareth and Sarah stepped into the room. The pair nodded to those assembled who bowed to the local monarchs as they moved down the stairs to the floor where they continued along to the dais where their thrones sat.

"Ambassadors Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, and Lady Luna Lovegood of the Above." The majordomo continued as the six teens stepped through the doors. They bowed and curtseyed respectfully and made their way down the stairs amid whispers from the many courtiers in the ballroom. They arrived at the dais and gave the king and queen court bows and curtsies.

"Her Royal Highness, High Princess Labyrinth and Lord Sirius Black of the Above." The majordomo called, and all eyes were drawn to the stairs where Rin and Sirius had appeared. Murmurs flowed through the crowd of nobles and courtiers as the pair descended the steps.

"Lord?" Sirius whispered under his breath.

"You are the last heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. For those from Above you are the equivalent of a Lord, a single step below the King." She whispered back, her lips barely moving as they made their way to the dais, where both bowed before Jareth and Sarah. The Goblin King and Queen nodded to the pair with warm smiles. At that moment, a trumpet sounded, and all eyes turned from Rin and Sirius to the stairs one more.

"His Royal Highness, High King Arneth, Lord of the Underground, and Her Royal Majesty High Queen Madrea, Mistress of the Wilds of Avalon." The majordomo said, and everyone present sank to their knees before the highest royalty of the Underground. Arneth and Madrea were garbed in dark red and gold, both wearing the golden crowns of the High Court. The couple descended the stairs and approached the dais, breaking apart to greet Jareth and Sarah warmly. Arneth embraced his son while Madrea did the same to Sarah, then they switched places.

"Congratulations, my dear boy." Madrea said.

"Thank you Mother. Sarah and I also have a surprise for you and Father." Jareth said, gesturing behind his mother. Madrea and Arneth both turned to see Rin standing nearby with Sirius at her side. Madrea cried out with joy and rushed forward to embrace her daughter, while Arneth approached Sirius. The Animagus bowed low before the High King.

"It is an honor to be in your presence, your majesty." He said. Arneth chuckled softly.

"Rise, Lord Black. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." He said to the wizard, clasping his hand. Sirius was a bit surprised at this, and heard the fevered whisperings of the assembled court.

"Come husband, we have business to attend to. It is time for our granddaughter's naming." Madrea said, giving Sirius a gentle smile. The royal grandparents climbed the dais, where Jareth and Sarah stood, their little girl suddenly in Sarah's arms courtesy of her sylph nanny.

"May I have the honor of presenting to you all Princess Grace Athena of the Goblin Kingdom." Jareth said to the cheers of those assembled. Rin smiled widely at her brother as the courtiers lined up to greet the king and queen and pay respects to Princess Grace. Music began to play, and Arneth and Madrea moved out to the dance floor in each others arms. The teens followed the monarchs out to the floor, Rin and Sirius close behind them. The couples moved with grace, while the courtiers whispered around them.

"Do not worry at the whisperings of the nobles around us. They are curious and jealous." Luna said as she and Harry danced by Ron and Hermione.

"I think they're more interested in Rin and Sirius." Harry replied. And indeed, all eyes seemed to be watching the High princess and her partner glide across the floor, having eyes only for each other. Rin smiled gently as Sirius spun her around, his normal smirk softened to a loving gaze. Arneth and Madrea saw the looks between the lovers and smiled to each other. At that moment, the doors to the ballroom opened and a dark shadow loomed at the top of the steps. The dancers paused at this arrival and looked up at the new arrival. Jareth stood, his gaze stony.

"Rendorin, your court has insulted me for the last time. Leave at once!" he barked. The dark haired elf prince smiled thinly down at Jareth.

"Goblin King, I am hurt. Is that any way to treat your future brother in law?" he asked, drawing gasps and murmurs from the assembled courtiers. Rin stepped forward, fury in her eyes.

"I have accepted to claim of courtship from you, nor a request for my hand." She snapped. Rendorin drew a slip of parchment from his pocket, his smug smile still in place.

"I have a missive in your own hand accepting my proposal." He said. Rin folded her arms across her chest.

"I highly doubt that, since I have yet to respond to any of your letters. That missive is written by my former court instructor Estra." She replied, still glaring at the elven prince.

"Estra assured me that you were in complete agreement of her letters. And the law of the courts makes this arrangement ironclad." Rendorin said. Arneth and Madrea looked over at their daughter with hopeless expressions.

"He is right, my daughter. Unless a promise has been made under the Old Laws, we have no choice but to allow this to continue." Arneth said sadly. Sirius gripped Rin's arms tightly.

"I will not let that bastard have you." He hissed, fire in his eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I fear we have no choice." She whispered in reply. Harry moved forward swiftly.

"Your Majesty, forgive my ignorance of your laws, but what would a promise under the Old Laws be?" he asked, looking at Arneth and Madrea, a glimmer in his eye.

"The Old Laws span from the time when our people still walked the Above. In your world they are still in place as ancient traditions." Madrea explained.

"Such as sharing a kiss under the mistletoe during Yule?" Harry asked with a sly grin on his face. Sirius turned to Rin, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"How did he-?" she whispered. Sirius turned to face Arneth and Madrea.

"My Lord and Lady, during the last Yule season in the Above, your daughter accepted my kiss under the mistletoe. Under the Old Laws, this means she is promised to me, and not to Rendorin." He said, eyes alight with joy. Arneth looked very surprised, but Madrea smiled slyly.

"Then under the Old Laws, I welcome you to the family, Lord Sirius Black of the Above." She said calmly. Rendorin roared with fury at the proclamation, and flung a bolt of dark lightning at Sirius. Rin stepped in front of him just as the bolt reached them, and brilliant white light blinded everyone in the room. When the light finally receded, everyone stared in awe at Rin.

The Fae princess was hovering two feet off the ground, her hair and gown rippling around her. Her eyes were no longer mismatched, but solid orbs of gold. He skin pulsed with power as she turned her face up towards the elven prince.

"How dare you strike at these two in the heart of my domain!" the voice that spoke was not Rin's but an echo of several voices.

"The Labyrinth." Jareth breathed. Rendorin glared down at the apparent avatar of the living fortress.

"I have worked far too hard to lose my title to some idiot wizard from Above! I will have my crown!" he shrieked, throwing another bolt at the glowing princess. She lifted one hand and the bolt vanished.

"This is not your realm, Elf Prince. This is **MY** land, **MY** Kingdom, and you will never touch these two again." The Labyrinth said, summoning a crystal and throwing it at the elf. There was a brief flash, and the elf was gone. Labyrinth turned and floated to the dais, where Sarah and Jareth were still staring at her in awe. The glowing being gently took the gurgling babe from her mother's arms and drew her close.

"Little Grace, born of the Labyrinth. You will bring about great prosperity to the realm. I bestow upon you my blessings, little child." She said, placing a gentle kiss to the child's brow. Grace giggled at the soft touch of the blessing, her little mouth twisted into a smile. The Labyrinth smiled as she returned the child to Sarah's arms.

"Thank you for your blessing, Labyrinth." The Goblin Queen said.

"You are welcome, my mistress." The Labyrinth replied, before turning to move back to Sirius' side. Sirius hesitantly reached up, wanting to touch her face and see the light blush that always rose.

"Is…Rin?" he asked. The Labyrinth smiled, and lifted a bare hand to caress the side of his face.

"Your bonded mate is still here, Sirius Black. You will need to return to the Above soon, but this time, the princess will return with the power of the Underground at her disposal. This war must be finished soon; else it will spread farther into the Underground than the Elven Kingdom." She said, and the glow faded around Rin as she sagged against Sirius. He held her tightly, relief washing over him as she returned his embrace.

"I was so frightened. When I saw that bolt, I thought it would kill you." She sobbed. Sirius gently stroked her hair.

"It's alright. I'm here." He whispered. Rin turned her face up to meet his eyes and pressed her lips to his, her hands going around his neck to hold him tightly. The teens from Above were laughing and cheering while rin's family were watching with warm smiles on their faces. When she pulled away, Rin let her hands slide down to join his.

"Did you mean it, what you said?" she asked. Sirius brought her hand up to his lips, his long fingers running along the skin at her wrist.

"Every word. I want you to be my bride because I love you. Please say that you'll marry me." He whispered. With tears in her eyes, Rin nodded, leaning up to meet his lips once more.

* * *

Two days later, Rin and Sarah were walking through the castle gardens, enjoying the warm day. Rin was once more wearing her capris and forest green blouse.

"So one of the wizards from Above got Rendorin to fake an agreement from you in the hopes it would keep you here in the Underground." Sarah said. After the Labyrinth had delt with Rendorin, Estra had spilled the entire plan easily. She was currently awaiting trial in the High Courts dungeons.

"This means that I have likely not been the secret weapon the Order was hoping for. We'll have to be much more careful." Rin replied. Sarah linked arms with her sister in law and leaned her head on the redhead's shoulder.

"Promise you'll be careful Rin. I worry for you in the Above. These people mean business." She whispered. Rin wrapped one hand around her sister's shoulders and squeezed.

"I promise. We will have to return soon. Professor Dumbledore had something planned, and I have a bad feeling it will be fatal for him to do alone." Rin replied. Just then, Jareth and Sirius appeared around the corner, both talking in low tones. Rin smiled as Sirius looked up and met her eyes, when something overwhelmed her senses.

_**Forgive me Rin, but I can wait no longer.**_ Dumbledore's voice rang through her head. Without hesitation, she summoned a crystal and threw it at her feet, vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Sirius started at the sudden lurching feeling in his stomach at her disappearance.

"What's going on?" he demanded. Jareth laid a hand on the wizard's shoulder.

"Rin was summoned. You are bonded to her and will always know when she is in another realm or in danger. Close your eyes and think of her. It will enable your magic to take you to where she is. Sarah and I will watch over the children until you tell us it is safe for them to return to the Above." The Goblin King said. Sarah came forward and gave Sirius a slight shove in the shoulder.

"Get going already!" she exclaimed. Sirius did as he was told and closed his eyes. In a moment, he vanished with a sharp pop! Jareth slid an arm around Sarah's waist and drew her close.

"Let us go inform the children of this turn of events." He said. Sarah nodded and leaned into him as they headed back to the castle.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, things will pick back up in London. Will Rin be able to save Dumbleore? When will everyone learn about the upcoming nuptuals? Does anyone really care about this story anymore? Please review and tell me what you think!


	9. The Return

A/N: I'M SO SORRY! It took me forever to get this chapter written. Not a lot of action in ti, this is more a filler chapter just to get the kids back to Hogwarts. On we go!

* * *

Rin appeared in Grimmauld Place, worry plain on her face. Professor Snape was the only one there.

"Where is Albus?" she demanded. Snape looked up at her with a disinterested expression.

"Good afternoon, princess. The professor is on business." He replied, before turning back to his book. Rin stormed forward and grabbed a fistful of his robes, bringing him eye to eye with a furious Fae.

"I asked you a question. Where is he?" she snarled. Snape stared wide eyed at the sudden transformation in the princess. Her hair was wild around her, her skin literally glowing with power.

"He has found one of the Dark Lord's Horcruxes. He is on his way to destroy it." The Potions Master managed. In a split second, Rin had summoned a crystal. She peered into it.

"Show me Albus." She murmured. The sphere glowed for a moment, and showed Albus sitting in his office in Hogwarts. She tossed the crystal to her feet and vanished in a cloud of smoke. Three seconds later, Sirius appeared with a pop! He took one look at Snape and smirked.

"Rin's been here, I take it?" he asked. Snape nodded dumbly, still mildly shocked by the strange behavior of the Fae. Sirius sighed and clapped Snape roughly on the back.

"Well then, where did she go?" he asked. Snape blinked and looked up at Sirius oddly.

"What happened to you?" he asked. Sirius frowned in confusion and Snape's eyes darted to the mirror. Sirius walked over and looked at his reflection. His hair was a touch longer than he recalled, and his skin seemed a little smoother. His eyes narrowed slightly as he made out a slight luminosity to his skin.

"I'm not really sure." He murmured, before focusing on Rin and vanishing.

* * *

Rin appeared in a bright flash and hurled a crystal at Dumbledore's desk. The professor himself looked rather stunned at her sudden appearance. The princess wore dark leggings and a long black tunic under a strange breastplate of dark metal. Magic crackled around her and her mismatched eyes flashed dangerously.

"I _**told**_ you to call me." She snapped. The professor looked at her with weary eyes.

"And I told you I had to do what is nessecery to stop Tom." He replied. Rin waved her hand and the crystal flew to her fingertips, a small ring enclosed in it.

"This is no longer a matter of wizards fighting other wizards. Your foolish Tom has bitten off more than he could chew." She said, rolling her fingers and tucking the crystal away. Dumbledore leaned forward, suddenly curious.

"How do you mean, Princess?" he asked. Rin chuckled darkly, sitting down in one of the chairs and planting her booted feet on the desk.

"Voldermort has incurred the wrath of the Labyrinth itself for daring to interfere with Underground politics. One of his agents conspired with the prince of the Elven Kingdom to force me into a marriage that would keep me in the Underground. Sadly for them, I was already promised to another." She said, smirking at the memory of Rendorin's face twisted with anger when his plan fell through.

"I take it congratulations are in order for both you and Sirius?" Dumbledore guessed. Rin smiled widely.

"Yes. The wedding will likely wait until after things are settled here. Now then, will you trust me to deal with these bothersome things? Perhaps at the end of all this, we should send Voldermort to my brother. He might make a good goblin." She mused. A second later, the door to the office opened to reveal a slightly irritated Sirius, his skin faintly glowing.

"Rin darling, I think there is something you have forgotten to mention." He said dryly, walking forward and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She smiled sheepishly up at him.

"Oops?" she tried meekly. Sirius merely lifted an eyebrow.

"Perhaps we should return to the Order so that everyone can be filled in at once." Dumbledore suggested. Rin nodded and summoned another crystal.

* * *

Three hours later, Rin had finished explaining to the Order all that had happened while they had been Underground.

"So when you kissed Padfoot under the mistletoe, you agreed to marry him?" Remus asked skeptically. Rin nodded, having changed into robes of a dusky purple, the color of the sky at twilight.

"Fae are bound by the Old Laws. In the Above, they have become old traditions. If the portal had been open at the time, Sirius and I could have been forced into the Underground and made to adhere to the promise. Since we revealed it at a time of our choosing, we are free to wed when we want. The only one who can release us from this promise is Sirius." Rin explained. Sirius captured her hand and smiled warmly.

"And the changes in Sirius?" Snape asked. Rin squirmed slightly and turned to face her betrothed as she spoke.

"I swear I had no idea what was going on. Among the Fae, when we choose a mate, we form a bond. As the bond strengthens, the pair becomes able to sense each other when they are close, even to share power. I never realized it was possible with a mortal." She said. Sirius's hand came up to cradle her cheek.

"I understand." He whispered.

"Rin, are the children alright?" Molly asked hesitantly.

"The children are fine Molly. High King Arneth has even invited them to visit the Great Castle before term begins." Sirius replied. The lights dimmed at that moment, and a man appeared from the shadows. Wands were drawn instantly while Rin and Sirius fell to their knees.

"Come child, I've told you that is hardly nessecery." Arneth said with a warm smile for his daughter. Rin flew to her feet and embraced her father while Sirius calmed the wizards. Arneth turned to look at the assembled wizards.

"Quite the motley group, my dear." He whispered. Rin shrugged.

"Perhaps, but they are on the right side. They are also much wiser than their idiot minister." She replied. Arneth turned to address the Order.

"I am High King Arneth. I am here to assure you that your children are perfectly safe in the Underground, and will be returned safely before the start of the new school year. My children have also been informed by the Labyrinth that they are to give you all the assistance you might require. This Dark Lord you are fighting has made a very dangerous enemy." He said. Rin's mismatched eyes darkened dangerously.

"The Labyrinth is, sentient?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course it is. The Labyrinth is a source of magic in our world. It is powered by the wishes and dreams of the Aboveground. Sadly, this magic has been waning in recent years, but the appearance of your children is a tremendous help. They have very fertile imaginations, and the Labyrinth is blossoming. For this alone, we are in your debt." Arneth said.

"I know how to repay the debt Father. Voldermort has torn his soul into several pieces and hidden them into items. Perhaps some of our scouts could hunt down these items so they can be eliminated?" Rin suggested. Arneth nodded and drew a crystal from thin air, tossing it lightly to his daughter. She caught the orb and slipped it into her robes.

"I will send some of our best trackers to find these Horcruxes for you. In the meantime, I suggest you prepare for war. I have a feeling that the school will become a target before long." Arneth warned, before summoning a crystal and vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

The rest of the summer passed, and the children finally returned to Grimauld Place long enough to gather their trunks and head for King's Cross. Rin lead the group, decked out in a plum dress and knee high leather boots. She ushered the children onto the train and sent the eager goblins on their way. During the course of their stay, the children of the Order had gathered a group of goblins that eagerly followed them everywhere. Rin joined the group in the train car and settled back into the seat while the children chattered about their time in the Labyrinth. She drew a few crystals out and juggled a bit with Harry who had learned the talent from Jareth during the stay. Luna was also naturally adept at the contact juggling Jareth was so fond of, and played with her own opaque creations. Finally, the train pulled into Hogsmeade and all the children climbed off. Rin used her magic to travel quickly up to the castle and changed into her teaching robes. She took a few moments to greet the other teachers and chat with Madame Hooch.

"Professor Dumbledore tells us that most Fae can turn into some sort of animal. Is that true?" she asked. Rin chuckled at the question and nodded.

"Yes, we do have the talent. Most Fae have one creature that comes naturally to them, but we have the ability to take on many forms. For example, my brother's preferred form is a barn owl, while his wife finds a snowy owl best," she explained. Professor Flitwick had been paying close attention to the discussion and chose that moment to interject.

"What is your preferred form, highness?" he asked.

"Please don't stand on such formality Professor Flitwick. Professor Jones, or Rin will be fine. I'm a little embarrassed to admit I have yet to find my form. My focus as of late has been offensive and defensive magic, as well as the ability to move between the worlds. Changing shape seemed to be left to the wayside," Rin replied with a smile. At that moment, Professor Snape appeared and bowed to the Fae princess.

"My lady," he greeted. Rin blinked in surprise, but returned the gesture with a slight curtsey.

"Good evening Professor Snape," she said. The Potions Master turned and walked to the other side of the room while Professor Trelawney glided over.

"Professor Jones, I never got the chance to thank you for taking care of my classes last year. Though some of your crystals keep finding their way into my classroom," the Seer said, grasping Rin's hands tightly. Rin smiled down at the woman and pulled her hands free to draw a charm from her robes.

"I have a gift for you Professor. Something to ease the side effects of the Sight," she said, handing over the simple charm. Professor Trelawney gazed in awe at the little crystal on a silver chain while Rin and Madame Hooch made their way to the Teacher's table.

"What did you give her?" the Flying Instructor asked. Rin grinned.

"Just what I said. Seers have a tendency to slip into the realm of Dreams, and the affects can be unpleasant. The crystal I gave her is a minor dream orb. It will keep some of the nastier side effects at bay. It will also help to mellow her out a bit so she will stop shrieking about everyone's imminent demise," Rin replied. Madam Hooch was suddenly distracted by the glimmer of light coming from Rin's left hand.

What's this? Rin, why didn't you say something?" she cried in delight. Resting on the ring finger of her hand was a beautiful silver engagement ring. At the center of the band, rather than the traditional diamond, sat a heart shaped ruby. Rin smiled happily, remembering the moment when Sirius had presented it to her.

_Sirius had drawn Rin into the parlor of Grimmauld Place, the rest of the Order currently distracted by dinner preparations. He reverently took her hand and slid something onto her ring finger._

_"I should have done this ages ago," he whispered, eyes bright with excitement. Rin gasped in delight as she looked at the ring._

_"Sirius, it's beautiful! How did you know I don't like diamonds?" she asked, slipping easily into his arms. He grinned smugly and brushed his fingers over her slightly pointed ears._

_"A little bird told me," he replied, trailing light kisses along her jaw. She chuckled softly, tilting her head to give him better access._

_"Remind to thank Sarah for that," she murmured._

"We weren't exactly trying to keep it quiet. After all, Sirius was the one who announced it at my niece's naming, and that was in front of half the Underground Royalty," she replied as they took their seats at the table.

"Well, congratulations, my dear. I can tell by the look on your face that you love him very much," Madam Hooch said quietly as the rest of the staff took their seats. The Sorting took went off without a hitch, and the feast began. Word spread like wildfire about the new professor's engagement, and she found herself accepting congratulations from almost the entire staff. Finally, the meal ended, and Rin was able to slip away to her rooms. She locked the door behind her and went to the window, gazing out at the full moon. Being away from Sirius now made her heart ache, and she closed her eyes, willing the tears away as she longed for her beloved.

"Don't cry my heart," a voice whispered behind her, making her jump. Standing behind her with a wide smile on his face was Sirius. Rin threw her arms around him, showering him with kisses.

"How did you get here? I'm so happy you're here, I missed you already," she gasped as she tried to kiss every inch of exposed skin she could reach. Sirius chuckled as he returned her kisses and drew her gently into his embrace.

"Your brother taught me a few tricks. I found I couldn't stay away from you," he replied. Rin sank into his embrace, her head finding the curve of his shoulder easily.

"I love you, Sirius Black."

"I love you, Labyrinth Jones."

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is. But don't worry, Voldermort will not be quiet for long. The idea for the bond between Fae is not mine, I must credit PaisleyRose for the concept used in her brilliant story, The Possesion. If you have not read it, go do so now. And please review!


	10. Lessons and Links

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little short, but it was very late, and I was tired.

* * *

The students in Defense Against the Dark Arts were chattering softly to each other as they waited for their teacher to arrive. A few moments into the class, Rin appeared, dressed in a short tunic dress and leggings of the deepest black. A simple leather belt wrapped around her waist and held a rapier at her hip.

"Wands away, ladies and gentlemen, you won't be needing them today. As you all know by now, I am Professor Jones, your new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. You have spent the past five years learning the proper spells to defend yourself against all manner of dark creatures and wizards. The first part of this year, you will be learning how to defend yourself without the use of magic," she announced. This sent up a tizzy of protest from the students, but Rin merely held up a hand and they quieted down. She nodded to Seamus, and he stood uneasily.

"Begging your pardon, Professor, but why would we need to learn physical combat when our enemies will likely be using magic against us?" he asked. Rin smiled, showing off her pointed teeth. A heartbeat later, she stood not three inches from Seamus, her mismatched eyes boring into his brown ones.

"Can you get to your wand to defend yourself with me standing this close?" she asked. The teen shook his head slightly. "Just as I cannot use mine to attack. In close quarters, magic is difficult to control, and those that are capable of using brute force too tip the scales will undoubtedly become the victor," she explained, moving to the front of the room. With a flick of her hand, all the desks had slid to the walls, leaving the center of the classroom empty. She put her fingers to her lips and whistled sharply. A moment later, several goblins of varying sizes appeared before the students, wearing the mishmash armor of the Goblin Kingdom's army. Blink waved at Harry, Hermione, and Ron, a wide grin visible beneath his helmet.

"Are those goblins?" asked a mousy Hufflepuff girl. Rin smiled as the goblins lined up and held their weapons to their shoulders like a proper army.

"They are. These are mischief goblins from the Underground. They are here today to help with your lesson. These goblins are a hardier variety than the goblins that run Gringotts. Blink, Kiff, Snoot, positions!" Rin barked. The three goblins scrambled to obey her order and stepped away from the group, weapons raised. Rin stepped forward and drew her rapier, taking a stance before the little creatures. After a moment, the little goblins attacked, and Rin went on the defensive. The students watched in awe as the Fae moved with a fluid grace, effortlessly deflecting blows and striking back savagely. Finally, she managed to disarm Snoot, who threw his arms into the air and shrieked loudly.

"PLEASE DON'T BOG ME!" he bawled. Rin burst into laughter and lowered her weapon, nodding to Blink and Kiff. The two goblins grabbed their fellow and vanished. A moment later, the students burst into applause and Rin turned to face them.

"For the next few weeks, you will first learn the different types of swords, and determine which is best for you. At the end of that time, you will begin to train on the proper use of your chosen blade. For those of you that are hesitant to use blades, I will have other options available. For today, I want you to pair up for a hand to hand lesson," she said. The students hurried to pair off, while Rin moved over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"I'm not fighting with you, 'Mione," Ron said firmly. The bushy haired witch glared at him, hands on her hips.

"Why not? Afraid I'll pound you?" she snapped.

"He won't for the same reason Sirius won't spar with me. His brain tells him that you won't get hurt, but his heart won't let him take the chance," Rin replied from behind them. Hermione calmed quickly and smiled slightly at Ron as he blushed.

"I'll partner with Hermione. Ron, why don't you pair with Neville? No one else will," Harry said, glancing over at their friend. Neville had grown into himself over the summer Underground, and towered over nearly everyone else in the class. Ron moved over to stand with the fellow Gryffindor, and Rin glanced around to make certain everyone was paired up.

"I should have asked Jareth is he knew anyone who could help with these lessons," she murmured to herself. A second later, she felt the slight pressure behind her that signaled the arrival of a Fae. She turned to find her brother standing behind her, arms folded across his chest.

"You really should have. Fortunately for you, Sarah knew about your plans and suggested I take some time to assist. After all, I did teach you everything you know," he said, adjusting his gloves. The class was staring at Jareth in shock, several girls' jaws hanging open at the handsome Fae's appearance. Rin looked her brother's apparel over and relaxed, a vague memory of Sarah referring to Jareth as 'His Royal Highness of the Insanely Tight Pants' floating across her mind. Today, he wore loose breeches and a linen shirt partially open at the neck to reveal his pendant lying against his skin.

"Class, may I present my brother Jareth, the Goblin King and my assistant instructor. When I first returned to the Underground, Jareth was the one who taught me how to fight, both with and without magic," Rin said. Jareth gave a short bow and produced a crystal to give to his sister.

"Sarah thought you would like a new image of your niece. She is growing quickly and particularly enjoys playing with Sir Didymus and his mount," he said. Rin smiled widely as the crystal showed her the image of Grace giggling at the little fox knight, her little hands woven into Ambrosias' fur. She tucked the crystal away and looked over her students.

"First lesson; how to disarm your opponent should you find yourself without your wand," she said, turning to Jareth and drawing her wand. It was made from a strange white wood with silver vines running along the length. It had been shaped from the branch of a very special tree in the Underground to act as a focus for her magic when she was Above. Her father had presented it to her shortly before the start of term. Jareth grabbed her wrist and twisted, putting pressure on her wrist to make her drop the wand. They repeated the actions slowly before letting the students practice among themselves. By the end of the class, several of the students had been able to disarm their opponents, and Rin dismissed them with a smile.

"Thank you for your help Jareth. The rest of my lessons today are with the younger students. They will still be learning magical defenses," she said. Jareth nodded his understanding, lifting Rin's hand to look over the ring that sat on her finger.

"I am glad you are so happy, Rin," he said softly, his gaze drifting over the band. She smiled up at her brother, sheer joy written across her features.

"Sirius and I are considering being married over the Christmas Holiday. With the war brewing here, we don't want to wait much longer," she replied. Jareth smiled and place a kiss on her forehead.

"Let us know what you decide," he said, vanishing into thin air as the first of her next class began to appear.

* * *

A month into the term, Rin was walking along the shore of the lake when a flash of silver caught her eye. She looked up to see the flitting figure of a brownie hovering before her, struggling to hold up a heavy gold locket. She immediately held out her hand and the necklace dropped into her waiting fingers.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking down at the tarnished metal. Her father had sent a half dozen trackers to the Above to help find the Horcruxes, and it seemed the first one had been located. She glanced around for a goblin and scowled when she did not spot one. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a crystal and sent it to inform Professor Dumbledore that she was going to deal with one of the Horcruxes in a safe place. She tucked the locket into a pouch on her leather belt and closed her eyes. She had been practicing her transformation skills, and felt fairly confident in her skills.

A Fae does not choose their primary form when transforming. It chooses them. After A few moments of steady breathing to clear her mind, Rin took a few steps and leapt into the air, twisting and shifting until her arms became wings. A falcon flew rapidly across the surface of the lake, and lifted high into the sky. She flew towards the mountains that surrounded the school, following her sharp eyes to a hidden cave far off the beaten path. It was nearly unreachable by foot, and that was precisely what she needed for this task. As soon as she was in the cave and back in her true form, she drew the locket from her belt and set it on a little raised stone platform near the back of the cave. She stepped back and drew her wand out, pointing it at the locket. She poured her magic into her wand, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits as the silver vines began to glow brightly. With a short yell, she hurled the energy at the locket. Her eyes widened as the locket split in half and the magical energy soared right back at her. Instinctively, she threw her arms up to cover her face before everything went black.

Several hundred miles away at Grimmauld Place, Sirius suddenly fell to his knees with a ragged gasp. Remus lurched from his seat at the sight of his friend's face twisted in near agony.

"Sirius! What's wrong?" he cried. The bearded wizard looked up at the werewolf with wild eyes.

"Rin. She's hurt," he gasped, before vanishing from where her kneeled. Remus leapt to his feet and headed for the fireplace, intent on sending an urgent message through the Floo Network. As he passed the ornate mirror in the hall, he paused, remembering how Rin had used it to speak to the children while they had been in the Underground. He pressed his fingers to the glass and prayed the magic would work for him.

"Harry Potter, I need you."

* * *

A/N: It's the return of the dreaded cliffhanger! Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for long. Now hit that little review button!


	11. Please Don't Leave Me

A/N: Wow, I'm rather surprised at myself. Three chapters posted in less than a week. Here's the thing. I am unsure as to how much longer I can drag this on. So please let me know what you think. In the next chapter or two, there will be wedding bells!

* * *

Harry and Luna were walking down the hallway toward the Great Hall when Harry suddenly froze, hearing a voice echo around him.

_**Harry Potter, I need you**_

He spun about, looking for the nearest reflective surface.

"Luna, I need a mirror," he said. Luna quickly reached into her pocket and drew a small compact out, handing it to him. He opened the mirror and blinked as he saw Remus' face appear in the little glass.

"Harry, something's happened to Rin. You need to find Dumbledore and warn him. Sirius has gone after her, but it might be a Death Eater attack. They have been getting even bolder as time passes," Remus said. Harry nodded and snapped the compact shut, racing down the hall with Luna hot on his heels. They turned a corner and found Professor McGonagall speaking with Dumbledore.

"Rin's been hurt!" he cried. Dumbledore looked up at the boy in shock, and strode down the hall.

"With me, Mr. Potter, Miss Lovegood. Minerva, kindly fetch Severus, and ask Hagrid to begin a search of the grounds," the Headmaster ordered. The teens swiftly followed him through the halls toward the North Tower. Near the stairs, Luna paused and turned to the shadows.

"The princess has gone missing. Tell the goblins to find her quickly!" she called. The goblins surged from the shadows to participate in the search as Harry and Luna followed Dumbledore up the tower. When they reached the top, Dumbledore began to flick his wand as they looked over the grounds. Harry drew his own wand and summoned the Marauder's Map from his trunk. He unfolded the parchment and tapped it with his wand.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he intoned, and the map quickly revealed itself. He and Luna got to work looking over the moving dots to find Rin.

"The last place I can track her magic is the lake. Her trail stretches over the surface and beyond the school grounds," Dumbledore said. Harry shifted to look at the very edge of the map on the far side of the lake and spotted an unmoving dot.

"There! She's right on the edge of the map! Princess Labyrinth Athena Jones," he said, showing Dumbledore the parchment. The older wizard squinted at the writing, his blue eyes twinkling as he looked to the North Tower.

"My, my. Your father and his friends were terribly clever to work this kind of magic," he murmured, turning his attention back to the edge of the map where another dot had appeared next to Rin.

"He found her. Perhaps the thestrels can retrieve them both, if Rin is hurt," Luna suggested. Dumbledore shook his head, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

"I do not think that will be necessary, Miss Lovegood. It seems that Hagrid has sent assistance," he replied, pointing to the growing shape of a hippogriff as it soared through the air to where they stood. When it landed, the trio bowed low, and received a bow in return. Harry moved forward quickly.

"Buckbeak, Rin is in trouble. Can you take me to those hills?" he asked. The hippogriff nodded and kneeled to allow the young wizard to climb on his back.

"Warn Madam Pompfrey that we are on our way. Luna, let the others know what's going on," he said, and Buckbeak rose through the air. Dumbledore watched as he soared off in the direction of his godfather and the Fae princess with a small smile on his face. Harry was a born leader and teacher. His confidence inspired others to follow him, and it gave the old wizard hope for the coming war.

* * *

Sirius found himself standing in a cavern near the entrance. He lifted his wand and light flared from the tip, lighting the scene before him. Rin lay unmoving on the ground, her wand several feet away. The far wall was blackened and charred from a great blast. He rushed forward and carefully looked her over for signs of injury. Her blood red hair spilled out around her head, throwing her pale skin into even starker relief. He sighed in relief as he took in her slow, shallow breathing and carefully picked her up. As he made his way slowly to the entrance of the cave, he realized that she had not come to this remote place by foot. Just as he was about to Apparate to Grimmauld Place, Harry appeared riding Buckbeak.

"What happened?" the teen asked, taking in his godfather's frightened face.

"I don't know. Let's get her back to the school, quickly. I'll feel better once Madam Pomfrey takes a look at her," Sirius replied, swinging Rin up onto the hippogriff's back and jumping on behind her. Buckbeak was a very strong creature and with a brief shifting of his body took off towards the school. The whole way there Sirius clutched at Rin, stroking her bare skin everywhere he could touch in the hopes that it woul help her heal. Before he realized it, they were landing at the front doors of the school. He leapt off and Harry helped slid Rin into his arms. As soon as she was securely in his grip he dashed through the doors and down the halls. Students leapt out of the way in surprise as he stormed through, intent on reaching the hospital wing. Once he arrived Madam Pomfrey and Profesor Snape were waiting. Sirius reverently laid her on a bed and stepped back to let the mediwitch and the Potions Master tend to her.

"Do you know what happened?" Snape asked, his tone devoid of the normal disdain he carried for the Animagus.

"All I know is that I fell to my knees at the headquarters, feeling as if my heart was being torn from my chest," Sirius replied darkly. Madam Pomfrey looked up in surprise at him, but he shook his head.

"Rin and Sirius are bonded. When she is hurt, he feels it," Harry quickly explained. Madam Pomfrey nodded absently and turned back towards the Fae.

Several hours later, Sirius and Harry sat just outside the doors , waiting for word. Professor Dumbledore appeared, holding a crystal in one hand.

"I found Peeves playing with this near the dungeons. Rin sent it to me to let me know one of the Horcruxes had been found and she was taking it to be destroyed," he said, the twitching muscle in his jaw the only evidence of his anger at the poltergeist.

"Why would this one hurt her? I thought she destroyed the ring with no problem," Harry said, his brow furrowed.

"Perhaps this one simply had a larger piece of Voldermort's soul than the ring. We won't know until she wakes up," Sirius said, his gaze locked on the doors. A moment later they opened and Madam Pomfrey stepped out.

"We've done all we can, but she has yet to wake up. I simply don't know enough about the Fae to know what might help or harm," she said, nervously wiping her hands on her robes. Sirius stood and walked into the room to take a seat next to his fiancée. Snape was watching from a distance as Sirius gently took her hand in both of his and brought it to his lips. The Potions Master was struck by the difference between Sirius' still slightly luminescent skin and Rin's dull form. He moved forward and lifted her other hand, looking over her fingers in his.

"Did her skin look this dull when you found her?" he asked. Sirius frowned up at Snape as he held up the limp fingers in his hand to show the Animagus what he meant.

"Yes. I haven't seen her skin look like that since…" he trailed off in realization.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Snape called. The Headmaster came in, followed quickly by Harry.

"She has been cut off from the Underground. Something about that Horcruxes has stripped her of her link to her magic," the Potions Master explained.

"So we call her brother!" Harry exclaimed. The three men looked at each other, then at the teen.

"Rin never told us how," Sirius said, his eyes wide with mild panic. Harry rolled his eyes slightly.

"I wish Jareth, the Goblin King were here, right now!" he said forcefully. A few seconds later, the far window burst open and a barn owl flew in, transforming into the form of the Goblin King. His face went nearly white when he spotted his sister lying in the bed.

"What happened?" he demanded in a clipped tone.

"She destroyed a Horcrux, and the backlash did something to cut her off from her magic," Harry said. Jareth turned furious mismatched eyes to Sirius, who still hadn't taken his eyes off her still form.

"You should have been protecting her," Jareth snarled. The Animagus finally turned his gaze to the Fae King, and all his rage fled at the look of utter misery in the wizard's eyes.

"I know," was Sirius' only reply. Jareth laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"We must take her back to the Underground. The magic in the Labyrinth can heal her, but not from here. You will need to come as well," he said. Sirius nodded and cautiously lifted his bride to be in his arms. Jareth turned to look at the other three wizards.

"I will instruct Father's scouts to bring the remaining items Underground to be disposed of. We will send word as soon as she is ready to return," he said. Harry took a half step forward, worry evident on his face.

"Take care of them. They're the only family I have left," he said miserably. The Goblin King stepped forward and placed a warm hand on the boy's shoulder.

"That makes you part of my family as well. Have no fear, Harry. We will return soon," he said, tossing a crystal at his feet. In a burst of crystal dust, the trio vanished. Harry bowed his head, fighting tears as tried to push the image of his godfather holding the love of his life in his arms, looking for all the world as if he lost her.

* * *

Jareth and Sirius appeared in a small glade in the center of the labyrinth. Just beyond an archway, Sirius could make out a beautiful fountain.

"You must go on alone. I will be waiting for you when you come back," Jareth said softly. Sirius nodded and strode into the glade. As he approached the fountain, he saw a woman sitting on the edge in a white dress, running her fingers through the water. She looked up at him with familiar eyes and Sirius gasped.

"Lily?" he asked, shocked. She smiled Lily's half smile and shook her head.

"No, I am not your old friend. I simply took this form so that we could speak. Lay Rin down please," she said, and a comfortable looking bed appeared to one side. Sirius settled the princess down and turned to look at the woman who had taken the form of one of his dead best friends.

"If you aren't Lily, then who are you?" he asked hesitantly. She laughed lightly, and the trees at the edges of the glade rustled with mirth.

"I am the Labyrinth. Before I used Rin as my Avatar, but as it stands I cannot do so. You and I must talk, for it will be your choices that shape what happen today," she replied, and turned to fully face him.

"When Rin threw her power at that locket, it lashed out and severed her link to both this world and Above. I can remake the link to the Underground, it is quite easy, but you will have to claim her again. If you so choose, I can restore her to health and leave her unbonded. You will be able to return to your world and live out your normal life, and she will remain here with no memory of you or her time among your kind," she said. Sirius lurched to his feet, fury in his eyes.

"_How dare you_!" he spat. "How dare you even suggest such a thing! Rin is the greatest thing to happen to me, and you want to take that away? Without her in my life I am nothing! I have survived so long on anger and desiring nothing more than vengeance, and now that I have Rin in my life, I will be thrice damned if I allow you or anyone else take her from me. Rin and I will be married, and I will never leave her!" he snarled, moving to stand in front of the still form of his fiancée. The Labyrinth smiled at him, and a warm breeze flowed though the glade.

"By your oath, Lord Sirius Black of the Above, and by my power, I hereby reforge the bonds of life and love on this daughter of my lands. As long as there is breath in one of you, the other will live. May your lives be full of joy and peace," she intoned. Sirius turned to watch as the glow returned to Rin's skin, and he felt his whole being swell with life and vigor. He moved to her side as her mismatched eyes slowly opened. A slow smile spread across her face as their eyes met, and Sirius leaned forward to press his lips to hers.

"I love you so much," he whispered, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. She smiled as sat up, her hair flowing freely around her.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't realize that locket had any defenses in it," she murmured, leaning heavily against the man she loved. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and helped her to stand.

"It isn't important. Let's go home. Harry was very worried about you," he said. Rin smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Lead the way my love."

* * *

A/N: All together now; AWWWWWWW! Now click the little button and tell me what you think or I'll have Rin and Jareth sic the goblins on you!


	12. Gypsies in the Castle

A/N: Holy Cow! Yes, I am still alive! Jeez, it took me forever to get this one done. This will be going somewhere, just as soon as I can drag my muse back to work. We had a bit of a disagreement shortly after I finished The Ghost's Vampire. So, enjoy!

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Time passed quickly at Hogwarts after Rin returned from the Underground, and her students became very skilled in the use of their swords. Harry even gathered several members of the old D.A. together in the afternoons to practice in the Room of Requirement. The bonds of friendship that had formed the year before grew even stronger, and Rin was able to feel the subtle layer of added magic in the ancient castle. Before any of them had realized it, the Christmas Break was fast approaching. The students were all abuzz with their holiday plans, but it was Harry and his friends that were truly excited. Rin and Sirius had decided to wed in a private ceremony in the Above, and the children had been welcomed as part of the wedding party. But as often happens when things seem to be looking up, something always comes along to throw a wrinkle into plans already laid out.

Three days before the Christmas Break was to begin, a small gypsy caravan approached the school. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were both waiting by the gates to the school as the group approached. A woman about Professor McGonagall's age stepped forward, pushing the hood back from her head and bowing to the two teachers.

"Good evening to ye both. I understand young Labyrinth Jones is a teacher here," she said in a thick Irish accent. Professor Dumbledore eyed the woman cautiously.

"Our DADA professor is indeed Professor Jones. May I ask how you know of her whereabouts?" he asked politely. A dark haired woman standing just behind the leader scoffed.

"Ye think we wouldna be able to track our own blood?" she asked with a sneer. At that moment, Rin appeared in the courtyard. When she spotted the caravan, her eyes lit up with joy.

"Aunt Tess!" she cried, launching forward and flinging her arms around the elder woman. Tess laughed even as Rin lifted her off the ground and spun her around.

"My, but you've gotten stronger. I see yer father finally revealed yer heritage," the elder woman said with a smile, running a hand along Rin's red and gold hair. The Fae princess smiled widely at the older woman.

"I should have known you would be in on the ruse," she replied, her own accent thickening slightly. The black haired woman stepped forward, smiling coolly at the Fae woman.

"Well met again cousin. The magic of the Underground suits you," she said. Rin's own smile softened slightly as she gathered the woman into her embrace. Seemingly hesitant, the woman returned the hug.

"It's good to see you out again, Moira. How are you?" she asked, looking the black eyed woman over. Moira's smile warmed slightly as she gently squeezed her cousin's arm.

"I am well. Yer father told us you have news?" she asked, looking cautiously over the slowly growing crowd of students and teachers. Rin's smile grew once more as she held up her left hand for the gypsies to see her ring. She was immediately mobbed by the group, all of them babbling excitedly. After a few moments, Professor Dumbledore stepped forward and bowed slightly to Tess.

"It is growing quite late. May we offer you the hospitality of the castle for the evening?" He asked politely. Tess smiled warmly at him.

"I thank ye for yer kind offer, but if we might simply place our camp on the grounds, that would be sufficient fer us. In thanks, we would gladly offer yer school a bit of entertainment," she offered. Rin's eyes lit up at the elder gypsy's words, and she looked over at the Headmaster.

"The clan's entertainment is a real treat, Headmaster. It would give the students a chance to see some of the Old Magic," she said. Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"We would be delighted. Hagrid will show you to a spot where you can set up your camp," he said, gesturing to the half giant. Hagrid walked forward and nodded to Tess. Rin glanced back over at Moira, realizing the woman was trembling violently. Cursing under her breath, she stepped closer to her cousin and passed a hand over her face. Moira promptly went limp in the Fae's arms and she cursed again.

"Come on, Moira. A calming spell shouldn't have done that to you," she muttered under her breath.

"The girl has taken a pain draught," a voice behind Rin said. She looked up into the pale face of the Potion's Master. "I can smell the ingredients on her skin," he explained. Rin looked back down at her cousin in dismay.

"Moira, you said you were getting better. Severus, will you help me get her to my rooms? I don't want to alarm the clan. Moira hates it when Aunt Tess fusses over her," she asked. Snape nodded and cast a quick Notice-Me-Not spell before lifting the unconscious woman into his arms and following Rin up to her rooms. When they arrived, Rin summoned a crystal and tossed it at the floor, creating a comfortable bed out of the small sofa in front of the fire. Snape carefully laid the woman on the bed, drawing back once she was settled.

"She has been taking pain draughts for some time. Why would she have such a need for so long?" he asked, looking over the pale woman. Rin sat by her cousin's side, gently brushing her black hair away from her face.

"I don't know all the details, but about seven years ago, Moira was kidnapped. She was held for several days and tortured before she escaped. She never spoke of her ordeals, but she was haunted by nightmares for a long time afterward. She is still afraid among large groups of strangers, and she is especially terrified of most men, even among the clan. I fear she takes the pain draughts for the same reason that some Muggles take medications for pain. It makes her forget for a while," she replied softly. Snape drew his wand and pointed it at Moira, whispering spells under his breath. Wisps of red and sickly yellow seemed to lift from the gypsy's body, and she whimpered in her sleep. Snape lowered his wand and looked toward the window.

"She endured several _Crucio_ curses, as well as a few _Sectimsempra_. This is the work of a Death Eater," he said solemnly, turning to look at Rin once more. Her mismatched eyes widened in horror at his words, and then her fists tightened with anger.

"Those damned fools play a dangerous game. What could they possibly want with Moira? She is not a witch, she is a gypsy. As far as I knew growing up, she had no connection to the Wizarding World," she hissed.

"Regardless of the reasons for her abduction, she has endured much. She is far stronger than she appears," Snape said grudgingly.

"So glad you approve, wizard," Moira grumbled, struggling to sit up. Rin reached forward to help her cousin.

"Easy Moira. You've been using those pain draughts too much. What were you thinking?" she asked. Moira wrenched her arms away.

"I take them because I need them. Tess wasna able to heal all the damage, and so I endure constant pain in my limbs. If I knew the bastard's face I'd hunt him down and have his guts for garters," she snarled.

"The _Sectimsempra_ is intended to create lasting damage; I am unsurprised that you still feel pain. It is worse on certain nights, is it not?" Snape asked from where he stood, his face carefully blank. Rin peered closer and saw the haunted look in his eyes. Moira gripped her arms tightly, looking towards the fire.

"Yes. On colder nights when the fires are high," she whispered. Snape slowly straightened and bowed slightly to Rin.

"I know of a potion that can counteract the effects of the _Sectimsempra_, but it will take me some time to make. I will take my leave, Your Highness," he said, turning and walking out the door. Rin watched him go, noting the slight limp in his left leg as he went. She frowned as the door shut behind him.

"I know that look, cousin. What bee is in yer bonnet now?" Moira asked. Rin turned back to her cousin with a gentle smile.

"It's nothing. Do you feel well enough to join the clan, or would you like to stay here for a while?" she asked. Moira swung her legs off the bed, setting her feet firmly on the floor in reply. With a soft laugh, Rin helped her cousin to stand and led her back out of the castle and over to the wide field where the caravan had set up camp for the night. Professor Flitwick had cleared the snow for the gypsies, and Hagrid was leading the horses to a pen near his hut to be fed. Rin brushed a hand over the mane of one mare as they passed, and grinned at the sight of the large bonfire being erected for the evening. When Tess promised entertainment, she delivered. The musicians brought out their instruments, and the dancers gathered their scarves. Rin watched the familiar movements of her extended family, wishing Sirius was there. She jumped when she felt arms go around her waist, and looked over her shoulder to see her fiancé smiling down at her.

"You called, my love?" he teased. She turned in his arms and pressed a warm kiss to his lips.

"I did. How did you get here so fast?" she asked. He grinned.

"Harry called me through his mirror thirty minutes ago to inform me of your gypsy cousin's arrival at the castle, so I Apparated into Hogsmeade and made my way here," he replied. Rin laughed as he brought her close for another kiss.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

"Well now! I would assume that this must be yer future husband, otherwise ye have changed a bit too much fer my liking, girl!" Tess exclaimed from a few feet away. Rin looked over with a warm smile at her family, and slid her hand into her betrothed.

"Yes, Aunt Tess, this is Sirius Black. He is to be my husband. We plan to wed over the holiday," she replied. Tess moved forward and carefully scrutinized the wizard. Sirius did not flinch, merely met her gaze impassively. The old gypsy chuckled finally.

"Aye, he's a tough one. Been through hardship, and finally making his way to where he belongs. Yes, I think he'll make a fine Consort," she said, clapping the man on the back. As the gypsy walked away, Sirius turned to Rin.

"Consort? I rather thought I was to be a bit more than that," he teased. Rin giggled as he drew her close.

"It will be your title in the Underground. As my husband, you will be Prince Consort. I can't wait to see the look on all those courtier's faces when they have to bow to you," she said, still giggling. Her words seemed to sober the Animagus, for he tensed slightly.

"I had almost forgotten that you have other responsibilities beyond this world," he murmured. Rin reached up and caressed his cheek.

"Sirius, don't worry. We can stay in the Above if that is your wish. We can stay as long as you want, anywhere you like. I still have my family home in America, or we can find somewhere here in England. We don't have to live in the Underground, just visit from time to time," she said softly. Sirius cupped her face in his hands and pressed his forehead to hers.

"As long as there is breath in my body, I will stand by your side. I am yours, now and forever," he vowed. Rin smiled fondly.

"Not long at all," she whispered, pressing her lips to his. As they kissed, the music started up suddenly, and Rin looked over to see that many of the students had gathered to watch the show. Eagerly, Rin pulled Sirius to the forefront of the crowd to watch. The singers began as the dancers moved around the fire, swaying languidly to the drum beats. They watched, enchanted, as the gypsies wove their magic over the crowd. Then, the music shifted, and Moira stepped forward, swaying slightly. He arms moved in graceful arcs and her eyes were heavy lidded with the magic around her. Rin shivered as she felt her cousin's spell wash over the group. Then, she opened her mouth and began to sing. Figures leapt to life inside the fire, images of knights of horseback, and a great battle being fought. As she continued to sing, the images in the fire shifted to show a couple dancing slowly, their eyes only on each other. Rin felt the enchantment tug at her, and she drew out several crystals, setting them to float among the students and teachers in attendance. Moira glanced over at Sirius, and after a moment, he stood, drawing Rin to her feet. She didn't question him, simply allowed her fiancé to lead her into a dance. Dimly, she was aware that some of the students were also getting up to join the dance, but she paid it no heed. All that mattered to her in that moment was the feel of Sirius holding her, moving them through the dance. Another singer came forward and began to sing as Moira moved to the side of the fire, watching the group. Something seemed to flash in her eyes, and Rin glanced around to see Snape slowly approaching the gypsy. He stopped several feet away and spoke softly to her. She nodded hesitantly and stood carefully. He held out his hand to offer something to her. She was slowly reaching out to take it when a goblin burst from the shadows and leapt on Snape's head, shrieking and clawing as he went. Rin bolted into action, moving forward as she summoned a crystal. He stood before her cousin with her sword in hand, several goblins flanking her as Snape finally flung his attacker off. Rin caught an acrid scent and sneered.

"A terrible idea, using a Polyjuice Potion around goblins. They can smell it on you," she called, raising one hand to cast the illusion form the man. He lashed out with his wand, only to have Sirius launch himself at the man, half transformed already. Rin's heart nearly stopped as she watched the man she loved attack the imposter viciously. Moira grabbed Rin's hand and the Fae turned to see her cousin holding an oaken quarterstaff in her hands. Rin smiled wickedly and the two women rushed forward as figures melted out of the shadows. The gypsies changed their drumbeats, and magic pulsed around the bonfire. Rin and Moira leapt into the group of Death Eaters and began to attack with precision. Sirius and the goblins flanked the two women and held the enemies at bay while the two women wove around each other in a circle, striking with perfect skill and deadly accuracy. The Death Eaters, unused to fighting in close quarters, were at a terrible disadvantage. The one that had pretended to be Snape turned and pointed his wand at the crowd, firing off several curses before a goblin leapt onto his back. The spells shattered harmlessly against the shield the gypsies had formed around the group, and the teachers urged the students in the opposite direction. Harry and his friends turned to the fight and drew their wands, rapidly firing hexes as they ran forward. Seeing they were outnumbered, the Death Eaters beat a hasty retreat, vanishing into the shadows with the goblins hot on their heels. Rin was breathing heavily as she looked around to assess the damage done, and Sirius trotted up to her side, panting himself. She laid a comforting hand on his head.

"Well done, love, but you nearly gave me a heart attack," she said. Sirius looked up at her with a doggy grin and then back to the forest.

"I think the goblins will give them merry hell all the way back to Voldermort," Harry said, coming to stand next to his godfather and Rin.

"What about Snape? Wasn't he the one the first goblin jumped?" Ron asked. Rin shook her head.

"It was a Death Eater using a Polyjuice Potion. Goblins can smell illusions, that's why he attacked. Still, we should check on the Professor," she said. Sirius huffed beside her, but still climbed to his feet. Moira moved forward.

"I'd like to come with you, if I might," she said. Rin nodded as she turned to stride for the castle. The teachers were very busy trying to get the students to return to their dormitories, and Rin and company passed easily through to the dungeons where Snape's office resided. The princess did not knock, simply pushed the door open and stepped through.

"Moira!" she called. The gypsy rushed forward and kneeled beside the unconscious Snape. Her nimble fingers ran along his head, and over his limbs.

"Just knocked silly by a Stunner, I'd guess. Yer mediwitch will be able to rouse him just fine," she replied tightly. At that moment, Snape's eyes slid open, and he found himself meeting the eyes of the black eyed gypsy.

"Death Eaters," he started groggily, and Moira laid a long finger over his lips.

"Doona worry over themselves. Her Majesty is a fair hand with a sword, and the goblins have already set to hounding them back to their master," she replied calmly. Snape seemed to be a little bewildered by the gypsy looking down at him, not the least of which involved the fact that she had yet to move her finger from his lips. Rin noticed this with some surprise, her eyes crinkling in thought.

"Alright then. First things first, we should inform the Headmaster of the current situation, then help get everyone inside the castle. And I mean everyone, Moira. Even if that means dragging Aunt Tess in kicking and screaming," she said, turning and striding out the door. Moira smiled softly as her cousin left, followed swiftly by the large black dog and two Gryffindor students. She helped Snape to his feet and stepped quickly toward the door.

"If ye have no questions fer me, I'll take my leave, Professor," she said, her eyes turned toward the door.

"How long did they have you, precisely?" he asked, subtly pressing one hand to his leg. Moira crossed her arms about herself, feeling the painful memories rise.

"Several days. The moon had risen fer the fourth time when I broke free. That is as much as I can remember," she said, turning on her heel.

"The pain should fade, with time. Eventually, it will only rise up when you are under stress," he said, watching her pause in the doorway. She turned her head slightly.

"And do you feel the pain more when the night is cold, and the fires are high?" she asked softly. Without waiting for his reply, she strode out the door, letting it close behind her with a soft 'click'.

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A/N: Well? Please hit the little green button and tell me what you think? Pleeeeaaaasssseeeee?


	13. Scared Slytherin

A/N: Sorry Sorry Sorry! I know it has been so long since I've updated this, but real life has gotten in the way. Now then, good news and bad news. Good news, I am nearly done with the next chapter, and it is the wedding! Bad news, I just got a new job, full time, but it's swing shift, so I will have very little time to write. Still, I will not be giving up on this story, so don't give up on me!

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Finally, the last day before the Christmas Break arrived. Rin was perched in a window near her classroom juggling crystals when Harry found her. For a moment, he watched the movements of her fingers, entranced with the image before him. It wasn't very often that Rin did something that hinted at how very inhuman she truly was. Moving forward, Harry gently tapped her shoulder, drawing the princess's mismatched gaze to him.

"Hello Harry. Ready for the break?" she asked, her eyes returning to the scene outside the window. Harry moved forward to see Snape walking slowly across the snowy grounds, a feminine figure by his side.

"Is that Snape? With a girl?" he asked incredulously. Rin laughed at the look on the teen's face.

"Aye, it is your Potions Master with my cousin," she confirmed.

"I've been meaning to ask, if your parents are both Fae of the Underground, then how can you have mortal cousins?" he asked. Rin smiled, putting her crystals away as she shifted to face the young man.

"Many ages ago, when Fae still walked the earth, it was very common for children to be born of mixed parentage. Fae do not conceive easily with each other, but we do with mortals. When the Fae left this world, many of the Halflings decided to stay behind. A few of them still possessed the immortality of their forebears, but most merely had long life spans. Tess is the descendant of one of my father's half sisters, a Halfling who stayed for love of a mortal," she explained. Harry frowned slightly.

"Then Tess would be your cousin as well?" he asked. Rin nodded.

"When I was living as a mortal, she was introduced to me as my aunt, so I still refer to her as such. Moira and I used to play as children. She is a few years older than I, but she always had a soft spot for her American cousin. I hope that she and Severus might be able to heal the cruelties they endured," Rin confessed. Harry looked thoughtful, still watching as Snape and Moira walked through the fields, always keeping a courtly distance between them. Rin huffed and summoned a crystal, holding it toward the glass. A sudden gust of wind sent Moira toppling into Snape, who caught her around her waist, steadying the gypsy easily. The woman turned toward the castle, and Rin giggled.

"I imagine she is cursing me at the moment," she giggled. Harry grinned up at his professor.

"Are you related to Cupid? People seem to be matching up all around you," he joked. Rin smiled mysteriously at the teen, sliding to her feet without a reply. At that moment, Harry sensed something behind him and spun around, already going for his wand. Ten steps away stood Draco Malfoy, his face pale and grey eyes fearful. He held his hands out from his body.

"Your Majesty, I would like to have a word in private," he said, bowing slightly, though he kept his hands where Harry could see them. Rin drew herself up, laying a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Harry is to be family soon, Mr. Malfoy. Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of him," she replied. Draco bowed his head and stepped closer. Harry tensed, but at the slight pressure of Rin's hand, he lowered his wand.

"Your Majesty, my father intends to bring me before the Dark Lord to be given the Dark Mark over the holiday. I…I do not wish for this to happen to me, and would ask asylum for myself and my mother," Draco said. Rin lifted an eyebrow, and for a moment, her form pulsed with power.

"You ask for your mother as well? Is she not allied with the foolish Riddle as well?" she asked.

"What do you know of the Veela, my lady?" Draco asked. Rin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Your mother is Veela?" she asked.

"She is part veela, enough to feel the bond to her children as they do. I did not inherit enough for it to influence me, but I still feel the ties to her. I know that she fears for my safety, but she will not go against my father unless I openly defy him, and to do that means death," the pale teen said. Harry frowned, one hand going to his forehead. Rin turned to him, concern radiating from her.

"Harry, what is it?" she asked. Harry looked up at her.

"I saw…something," he admitted. "It looked like Mr. Malfoy, and a woman. She was…crying," he paused, frowning. Rin reached out and touched his brow, summoning a crystal.

"You should not be having any such visions with the mental shields you've developed," she murmured, even as the image Harry had described appeared in the crystal.

"That's my mother, but why is she-"Draco began, and then froze as he watched his father strike Mrs. Malfoy. Rin dismissed the crystal swiftly, turning to look at Draco.

"It seems Harry has a few tricks up his sleeve," she murmured. Draco fell to his knees before her.

"Please your majesty, I'll do anything! Please help my mother!" he begged. Harry was shocked to see this side of the Slytherin, but in the back of his mind, he felt he would be doing the same thing if their roles were reversed. He looked up at Rin, who nodded.

"Come with us, Draco. We'll speak to Professor Dumbledore," she said, leading the two teens down the hall. Before long, they arrived at the headmaster's office, and were quickly admitted. Rin stepped forward and curtseyed low before Fawkes before turning to Dumbledore.

"Young Mr. Malfoy has asked for my protection for himself and his mother. It seems they do not share Lucius' loyalty to Riddle," Rin said. Dumbledore looked over at Draco.

"Tell me everything," he said, flicking his wand to conjure chairs for everyone. Draco proceeded to tell the headmaster everything, from his mother's heritage, to his father's plans, and finally, the image from Rin's crystal. Finally, Dumbledore leaned back, stroking his beard in thought. Fawkes trilled a soothing melody to relax the pale Slytherin's tense posture. Rin tossed a crystal at the desk, and it burst to reveal a large tea service complete with biscuits and cookies. She poured both boys strong cups as well as for herself and the headmaster before helping herself to a few cookies.

"I must confess I am at a loss. I cannot recall a student ever asking for help in escaping his or her own parent," Dumbledore confessed. Rin and Harry shared a look.

"Is abuse so unheard of in the wizarding world?" Rin asked. Harry flinched at the caustic tone in her voice. She was no doubt remembering something from their summer in the Underground.

* * *

_Harry had been summoned by a small goblin carrying a large horn to the Queen's chambers, and now he stood nervously before the doors. He had met Queen Sarah briefly at the ball a few nights before, but had not had the opportunity to speak to her. After a moment, the door opened, and Queen Sarah appeared in jeans and a long white shirt. She beamed happily at Harry. _

_"Hello Harry! I was hoping Lilks would find you sooner rather than later. He's a very sweet little thing, but his attention tends to wander," she said, ushering the teen into the room. Harry's eyes swept the room, noting the rich tapestries on the walls before his eyes came to rest on Princess Grace in her cradle, her tiny hands batting at the little crystals swaying above her head. Sarah smiled gently at her daughter as she led Harry over to a sitting area with line of sight to the baby._

_"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" Harry asked. The queen shook her head, gesturing for the boy to sit._

_"Please Harry, call me Sarah. After all, we'll be family before too long," she said. "Harry, as Goblin Queen, I have learned to spot the signs of an abused or neglected child. Many of our Wished Away are children who have been mistreated so terribly that the story finds its way to them and offers them an escape. I can see many of those signs in you. Who has mistreated you Harry?" the queen's tone was so gentle, so caring, that Harry found himself pouring out his story to her; being found on the Dursley's doorstep, forced to cook and clean almost as soon as he could walk, the cruel and demeaning names, and the lies about his parents and their deaths. At the end of his story, he glanced up at Sarah. Her mossy green eyes were filled with sympathy and heartache. She stood and went over to her daughter's crib, lifting the babe into her arms and swaying back and forth._

_"At the start of the summer, I thought I had to go back with them, but Rin and Sirius insisted I come back to Grimmauld Place with them. I think that was the happiest moment since my eleventh birthday when I found out I was a wizard," he finished. Sarah turned back to look at Harry with a sad smile._

_"No matter how many times I see or hear of such things done to children, it still breaks my heart every time. I wish there was something I could do for you," she said. Harry shook his head, grinning crookedly._

_"Your-Sarah, you and Rin have already done so much for us all. My godfather has been exonerated, I am free of my horrid relatives, and I am here, in a world that not even the great wizards knew existed," he said. Sarah laughed softly, smiling as her daughter gurgled happily at her._

_"I suppose you are right. Still, I can't believe your school never did anything about it," she protested. Harry shrugged._

_"I never told them," he replied. Sarah looked up in surprise. A few seconds later, Rin appeared with a wide smile on her face._

_"I'm back!" she cried, but the smile slipped from her face. "What's happened?"_

* * *

Rin had been furious then, and it had taken both Sirius and Jareth to calm the irate princess. Now it seemed that they were to get an answer to her question.

"Sadly, Your Majesty, in a world where magic can erase almost all damage to a body, as well as cause great harm, it is very hard to prove abuse has occurred. Thus the children do not seek help," Dumbledore explained. Rin frowned at the headmaster, but Harry laid a hand on her arm.

"He's right. Without the proof and the student's testimony, any accusation is just that. It took Queen Sarah to get me to admit everything the Dursley's had done to me," he said. Rin looked over at the teen with a smile on her face.

"You're growing up to fast for me," she sighed, then turned back to Dumbledore.

"Past troubles aside, at the moment, there is an obvious and dire threat to young Malfoy and his mother. We should try to get her away from her husband so they can both be placed somewhere safe," she said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Perhaps I can ask her to Floo in this evening, and the two can be spirited away then," he suggested. Draco nodded quickly, with Rin a short moment behind him.

"Shall we say seven o' clock? Draco asked for my protection, so it should be me who speaks to her," Rin said. Dumbledore nodded.

"I will contact her right away," he said. Rin stood and led the two teens out of the office. Once they were in the corridor, she paused, turning both young men to face each other.

"Alright, I know that you have not agreed in the past, but from this moment on, I want a truce. Let the past lie, and house affiliations stay at school. You will be allies in the coming war, and allies need to work together," she said sharply. Both boys hedged a bit, but finally, Harry summoned his Gryffindor courage and stuck out his hand.

"Truce?" he asked. A moment later, Draco took the offered hand, shaking firmly.

"Truce," he confirmed. Rin smiled brilliantly just as a cold gust of wind rushed through the hall.

"LABYRINTH ATHENA JONES! I'LL BE HAVING A WORD WITH YE FOR THAT TRICK!" a woman's voice bellowed, and Rin jerked around like a startled deer.

"Eeep!" she cried, dashing the opposite direction. Draco stared after the DADA professor in confusion. Harry sighed.

"Don't worry about it Malfoy. Just a bit of goblin mischief catching up to her," he said.

* * *

At seven o' clock that evening, Rin stood next to Draco Malfoy at the Apparition point just outside the school wards. With a sharp _crack_, Mrs. Malfoy appeared in a dark blue cloak.

"Good evening Professor. Is something wrong?" she asked. Narcissa Malfoy was a striking woman with pale blond hair and light blue eyes. Draco immediately moved into his mother's arms.

"Mrs. Malfoy, your son has asked for asylum for both you and himself, protection from your husband and Voldermort," Rin said. She noticed the way Mrs. Malfoy flinched at the name of the Dark Lord, but the woman held her head high.

"My son is all that matters. So long as he lives, I will be content," she said. Draco grabbed her robes.

"No Mother. We will both be safe from the Death Eaters. Professor Jones is a Princess of the High Court of the Fae, and she can keep us safe," he said. Narcissa smiled at her son.

"I know my darling boy. I haven't been very honest with you, or your father for that matter. I am not part veela as I led you to believe. I am a Halfling, born before the time my father's people left for the Underground," she said. Rin's eyes widened in surprise at the words, and she summoned a crystal. She tossed it to Narcissa, who easily caught the sphere and smiled as it glowed green.

"By Danu, she is one of us! A child of my mother's line. I never dreamed I would see the day," Rin breathed.

"Princess Labyrinth, I ask you to protect this child of mine, to keep him safe from those who would do him harm," Narcissa said. Before the fae could reply, several pops were heard all around them.

"You would betray me Narcissa?" one of the figures hissed. Narcissa pulled Draco behind her defiantly.

"You will not harm my son," she declared. Rin drew her sword just as Lucius pointed his wand at Narcissa. The princess moved as swiftly as she could, but the jet of green light left his wand a second before her sword pierced the caster's chest. The spell struck the Halfling in the shoulder, sending her down to the ground as her son cried out in horror. Sudden battle cries alerted Rin to the fact that Harry had once again snuck out under his invisibility cloak. He, Ron, and Hermione were swinging their swords and wands, flinging stunners at death eaters and catching the wands of those close to them with their blades. The short battle seemed to stretch as Rin moved to defend Draco and his mother, her sharp ears picking up the woman's heart struggling to beat. Finally, the death eaters fled, leaving the bodies of their fallen comrades. Rin rushed to Narcissa's side as a sharp pop alerted her to her fiancée's arrival.

"What's happened?" he asked, wand out. Rin gripped Narcissa's hand tightly.

"Ron, run to the school, get Moira and Professor Snape, quickly! Her Fae heritage is resisting the curse, she could make it," Rin ordered. Ron turned and dashed for the castle, Hermione in hot pursuit.

"Please…protect…my son," Narcissa gasped, her pale skin fairly glowing in the moonlight. Rin let out a shaky breath.

"I swear that Draco will never forced into the service of Voldermort. I will do everything I can to keep him safe, short of locking him in an oubliette," she said, smiling slightly. Narcissa laughed breathily.

"Thank you Princess. I love you, my little dragon," she whispered, her eyes sliding closed. Tears flowed down Draco's face as he clutched at his mother's robe.

"No! Mother you can't die! Please, don't leave me!" he sobbed. Rin felt the hum of magic in the air and looked up to see the large raven flying through the air, turning into her mother as it neared the ground.

"Nalasse!" she cried, moving forward. But it was too late. With a final sigh of breath, Narcissa Malfoy died in her son's arms. The boy broke down sobbing, and Rin turned into Sirius' embrace. Even the High Queen was weeping, prayers in a strange language falling from her lips. The assembled watched somberly as Madrea summoned a crystal, sealing the body in a crystal coffin. Harry moved forward and wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulders. He knew what it meant to lose your parents.

"I swore I would protect you Draco, and I intend to keep my word. You'll return with us to London on the train tomorrow, and we will see to your family affairs then," Rin said, her accent thickened in her grief. Hurried footsteps alerted them to the arrival of Professor Snape and Moira, followed closely by Ron and Hermione. At the sight of the crystal coffin, Hermione buried her head in Ron's shoulder. Moira bowed to Madrea.

"It appears we were too late. My apologies, milady," the gypsy said.

"I will inform the headmaster. Draco, your father-" Snape began, but the pale teen cut him off.

"My father murdered my mother. His corpse lies over there. It can rot for all I care," he spat. Madrea moved to his side.

"You are family, Draco. We will care for you," she said. Draco was visibly trying to gather his composure.

"Come on Draco. Let's head back to the castle with Professor Snape. We can worry about the rest in the morning," Harry said softly. Draco looked up at Harry and saw only understanding in his green eyes. Nodding mutely, Draco allowed the Gryffindor to walk with him back to the castle. Snape watched them go in amazement.

"Nalasse was my niece. She chose to stay in the mortal world out of curiosity. I never imagined this would come of such a thing," Madrea said.

"She will be honored Madre. By us all," said Rin. Sirius tightened his grip on his bride-to-be and nodded.

"I had grown up believing Narcissa was my older sister. She will have an honored place in the Black family tombs, unless you wish to take her back to the Underground, Your Highness," Sirius said. Madrea shook her head sadly, one hand brushing over the case above Narcissa's head.

"No, she will stay in the mortal world she loved so much. Thank you Sirius," she said. The animagus turned to where Harry and Draco were fading in the distance.

"I just hope that Draco will be alright. It's good that Harry is standing with him. He's one of the few here who might understand how he feels," he said. Rin nodded, looking over at her cousin.

"Moira, gather the clan please. We'll sing the old songs for Nalasse, to guide her to the Otherworld," she said. Moira nodded and made her way back to the castle.

That night, bonfires lined the edge of the lake, and mourning songs echoed across the snowy fields. Even the creatures of the Forbidden Forest seemed to mourn with the Gypsy clan and their Fae cousin.

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A/N: Okay, I had to wait for the site to let me update, and now I'm starting work tonight, so I have no idea when I will be able to finish the next chapter. I have the wedding all written out, but it's not very long at all, so I'm trying to figure something out as a lead in for the next bit. Keep your eyes pealed!


	14. An Underground Wedding

A/N: Wow, this one really took forever. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to end this chapter, but I knew I wanted a little interlude with Voldy. Hopefully I will actually get the next chapter done before too long. As always, reviews are loved and if you recognize it, it ain't mine.

* * *

The first few days of the Christmas holiday were somber with the addition of Draco to the little group of students heading to Grimmauld Place. The gypsy clan had made arrangements with Professor Dumbledore to remain at the castle over the remainder of the term to weave their own protections over the school wards, as well as to protect the students should the need arrive. To the immense surprise of many of the Order, the Gryffindor students came together to support Draco in his loss, and never once made any comment about his house affiliation or his father. Madrea had returned to the Underground to inform the rest of the family about Nalasse, and Sirius had kept his word, interring the Halfling's body in the Black family vault. He sent owls to Gringotts, informing them of the death of both the elder Malfoys, though he listed Rin as Draco's guardian. When she asked, his explanation was simple.

"I may have believed that Narcissa was my sister, but she truly was your cousin. You are Draco's last blood relation in the Above, so it stands to reason that you would take him in," he had said. The pale teen had not protested, but both Rin and Sirius watched with a worried eye as he seemed to shrink in on himself. Harry seemed to understand how he felt, and it was the dark haired teen that finally forced the issue.

"Draco, you and Rin need to go to Gringotts for the reading of your mother's will," he said from the doorway of Draco's room. Draco was still wearing his school robes, staring into space. With a slight scoff, Harry strode into the room and jerked Draco's shoulder, forcing the teen to look at him.

"Snap out of it Malfoy! If your mother could see you right now she would probably smack you upside your head," he snapped. A brief spark of life flickered in the Slytherin's eyes.

"Don't talk about my mother that way Potter," he snarled. Harry nodded.

"That's good. Don't wallow, get angry. Focus your energy on dealing with the problems at hand. I didn't know Nalasse, but I do know that she was willing to give her life to protect you, and that makes her a good mother in my book. But moping around because she died is not honoring her memory. Not get a shower, get dressed, and meet us in the living room so we can head to Gringotts. Besides, if you don't, Rin will pick out your clothes for the wedding without your input, and Merlin knows what she might put you in," he said. Draco let out a soft laugh, turning to look at Harry with new eyes.

"Never would have expected you to be making me feel better Potter," he admitted. Then he frowned a little. "What do you mean, she'll choose my clothes for the wedding?"

"Draco, you're her family. Do you think she's going to make you stay home during the ceremony? Now get ready," Harry said, turning to leave the room. As he pulled the door closed, he thought he heard Draco whisper his thanks. Half an hour later, Draco appeared in the living room, clean and dressed in fine black robes with dark blue detailing on the edges. Rin was also wearing mourning black, her hair bound with blue and green ribbons to match her eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked. Draco nodded.

"Thank you, your majesty," he said, bowing slightly. Rin caught his shoulder as he came back up.

"Draco, we are blood. You do not have to bow to me," she said kindly. She glanced over to Sirius and Harry.

"You do remember your tasks, right?" she asked.

"While you and Draco are settling Nalasse's affairs and dealing with the Malfoy accounts, we will be getting our final fittings for the wedding," Harry said in a long suffering tone. Rin glared at him slightly.

"Good lad. Please also inform Madam Malkin that Draco will need an outfit as well. I am sure she knows his preferences for color," Rin replied. Sirius smirked at the look on Draco's face.

"She's claimed you as family now, better get used to it," he said.

* * *

The day of Yule arrived, and everyone in Grimmauld Place was in a tizzy getting ready for the wedding. After a great many discussions, it had been decided that the wedding itself would be held in the Labyrinth, with Jareth presiding. Once everyone was prepared in their finery, Harry touched the ornate mirror in the main parlor.

"Sarah, we're ready," he said. A moment later, the air shimmered around them and Sarah appeared in a lovely pale green gown, her silver tiara sparkling against her hair. Six month old Grace was resting on her hip and smiled widely at Harry.

"Thank goodness! Rin is a bundle of nerves, and I think Jareth had to stop Sirius from sneaking a bit of goblin ale," she said, summoning a crystal. She tossed it in the air, and the group was suddenly standing in the throne room of the Castle beyond the Goblin City. Arneth and Madrea were waiting for them and greeted every member of the group individually. Madrea pulled Draco into a loving embrace, whispering something into his ear, and Arneth took the teen's hand as well.

The group was led to the open area where the wedding would take place and quickly took their seats. Harry took note of the people he recognized; Moira and Tess from the gypsy clan sitting next to Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore, Sarah was bouncing Grace in her lap next to Madrea, the Weasleys had taken two entire rows for themselves, and Luna had settled in next to him. Remus and Tonks were in the front row, standing in for Sirius' family, and Neville was holding Ginny's hand as she dabbed at her face with a handkerchief. Sitting a short distance away from the royal family was a strange man with sandy brown hair and mischievous brown eyes. He wore a fine doublet of gold and cream breeches, and brown boots polished to a high shine. Resting at his feet was a short bow and a small quiver of arrows. Before Harry could say anything, he caught sight of his godfather striding to the small bower of flowers where Jareth stood. A moment later, everyone stood as music began to play, and Rin appeared at the head of the aisle on her father's arm. She was clothed in a stunning white gown that left her shoulders bare, a silver belt resting at her hips in medieval fashion. In her hands was a bouquet of Underground flowers in reds and blues. As she came to a stop before Sirius, she smiled, the light shimmering off the gold strands in her hair and the gold of her circlet. Arneth lifted her hand and kissed the back of her glove before placing the hand in Sirius'.

"Friends and family, we are gathered today to witness the Joining of Princess Labyrinth, daughter of the High King and Queen, to Lord Sirius Black of the Above. They have sworn their love to each other many times over the past year, and now wish to seal the bond before their loved ones. Lord Black, do you swear before these assembled to honor, love, and cherish Labyrinth for all your life?" Jareth said.

"I so swear," Sirius replied.

"Princess Labyrinth, do you swear before these assembled to honor, love, and cherish Sirius for all your life?" Jareth repeated.

"I so swear," she answered. Jareth waved his hand, and the gloves on her hands vanished, revealing the glow that spread from her touch to his.

"Then before these witnesses, I declare your vows true, and with the power gifted me as Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth, I herby-" Jareth was cut off by a voice in the crowd.

"If I may your Majesty?" the sandy haired stranger had stood, smiling impishly at the couple before the king. Jareth's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you disrupting these proceedings?" he demanded. The stranger shrugged.

"To be honest cousin, I am simply wondering if the princess understands what she's getting into," he said lazily.

"I know exactly what I am getting into. I have sworn my love to this man and there is nothing you can say that will change my mind. You know as well as anyone that those arrows won't work if the person is already in love," she snapped. The stranger grinned widely before turning to Sirius.

"And you Lord Black? It is always hardest on the mortal in such unions," he said. Sirius pulled Rin into his arms.

"As I once said to Rin, as long as there is breath in my body, I will be at her side," he said.

"_**As long as there is breath in one of you, you both shall live on,**_" the soft voice that echoed through the area made everyone look around in confusion, and the stranger grinned widely.

"Who am I to question the will of the Labyrinth? Many blessings on you both," he said, bowing low. Rin smirked.

"Thank you, Eros," she said. Jareth gave Sirius a look.

"Well? Kiss your bride already," he said. With a wolfish grin, Sirius did just that, pulling his new bride close amid cheers around them.

* * *

In the Above, several figures in dark robes gathered at their master's call. Voldermort scowled at his Inner circle.

"Where is Lucius?" he demanded.

"My-my lord, Lucius Malfoy was killed not six days ago," one of the trembling figures reported. Voldermort surged to his feet, eyes narrowed.

"That fool Dumbledore would never condone the use of the killing curse. Explain how this is possible," he spat. Another figure stepped forward.

"It was no spell, my lord. The new DADA teacher ran him through with her sword. My son tells me she has been teaching the older students how to use blades to defend themselves in close combat," he said. With a hiss, Voldermort turned his wand on the man. A silent Crucio sailed through the air and the death eater dropped to the floor, wailing in agony.

"Who is this teacher?" he demanded.

"Athena Jones, my lord. Little is known about her, but she was the replacement Divination teacher last year," another man answered quickly. Snarling, Voldermort turned to another empty space in his inner circle.

"Severus Snape has betrayed us as well. Prepare yourselves. We attack Hogwarts in seven days!"

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A/N: Review?


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